Asphodel
by A Pirate By Any Other Name
Summary: After an accident in potions, Hermione and Draco wake up married with children. Is this the future, a parallel universe, or is it all a dream? Will Hermione and Draco's mutual loathing stop them from setting things right? Dramione, AU, Set during 5th yr.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own any rights to Harry Potter or any affiliated characters, all of it belongs to J.K. Rowling and any references to the films belong to Warner Brothers Co. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note:** This is my first published fanfiction. Please read and review, I would love to have your feedback! A special thanks to Zenappa for beta-reading this, and to MissChocklitMilk, Delena2010, and all of my family members for their support. I couldn't write without you guys!

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

The minute Professor Snape stepped out of the dungeon classroom; everyone at once breathed a sigh of relief and turned to their classmates for help and conversation. They were supposed to be brewing a Dreamless Sleep Potion. As usual, Neville was having problems. A sheen of sweat had broken out on his forehead as he stood before his potion, which instead of being a smooth, midnight blue, was a fizzing bright pink. Steam shot up from his cauldron in spurts like a train's smokestack.

"Oh no!" cried Neville, frantically scanning the instructions. Beside him, Seamus was muttering as well, for his potion was slowly congealing.

"Neville, what did you do this time?" asked Harry, whose potion, though not quite as dark as it should be, was at least blue.

"I don't know!" cried Neville, wringing his hands. "I think I switched the infusion of wormwood with the unicorn hair."

Harry frowned. "Hermione-" he started, but a loud drawling voice suddenly cut him off.

"Messed up _again, _Longbottom? God, you're pathetic." Malfoy swaggered over, signature smirk fixed on his face. "What's that even supposed to be?" He sneered at Neville's puffing pink potion.

Neville flushed and mumbled something incomprehensible. Malfoy laughed and the other Slytherins joined in.

"Sod off, Malfoy," Harry said with gritted teeth.

Malfoy only laughed harder. "Why stick up for Longbottom, Potter?" he jeered. "With him around you don't look like such a loser!"

As Harry opened his mouth to give a retort, Hermione appeared between Neville and Malfoy. "Let's see if we can't fix this Neville," she said kindly, though wrinkling her brow at the sight of the pink brew. She ignored Malfoy.

"Know-it-all Granger here to save your arse again, Longbottom!" Malfoy jeered, glaring at the back of Hermione's head. She made no sign that she even heard him and continued to examine Neville's potion and his instructions.

"You'll need some nightshade, Neville. Get some from the supply cupboard, next to the Powered Root of Asphodel," she instructed. Neville nodded, mumbling his thanks to Hermione as he went. Harry nodded, confident that she would sort out Neville's disaster of a potion. He threw a glare at Malfoy and went back to his own potion.

Malfoy, furious at being ignored, shouted over to Neville, "Oi, Longbottom! Sure you don't need Granger's help to read the labels?" He smiled in satisfaction when Neville's ears turned red. Neville quickly reached up and grabbed a vial and shuffled back to his desk. When he returned, Malfoy continued in his drawling voice, "You ought to be ashamed, Longbottom. A pureblood like yourself needing the help of mudblood Granger. But then again, you are practically a squib, so that doesn't make you much better than her, does it?"

There was a loud hiss from all the Gryffindors in the room and all the Slytherins burst into laughter. Harry had to hold Ron back as Neville turned a violent shade of red. Hermione slowly turned to face Malfoy, having finally acknowledged his presence. Malfoy's eyes gleamed and his smirk grew wider as he stared down at her. Hermione's face was calm, but when she spoke her voice dripped with ice. "And you ought to be ashamed, Malfoy, of being so incredibly pathetic and insecure with your own abilities that you have to stoop to insulting everyone around you, especially those with more talent and character than you could ever possess!"

This time it was the Slytherins who hissed in displeasure while the Gryffindors cheered. Neville, still flushed muttered, "D-do I add this, Hermione?"

She glanced briefly at him and nodded before turning back to Malfoy. Two patches of pink had appeared on his pale cheeks. He leaned toward Hermione menacingly, his grey eyes dark. "Talent?" he sneered. "I know you're not talking about Longbottom, he's lucky if he's holding his wand in the right direction!"

Harry and Ron jumped up to intervene, but Hermione held up a hand to stop them. Her nostrils flared and her face was set in a frightful scowl. The rest of the potions class stopped what they were doing to lean forward and watch. Everyone that is, except for Seamus, who had now pulled out his wand and was waving it over his potion while muttering frantically under his breath.

"Neville is ten times the wizard you'll ever be, Malfoy!" spat Hermione, saying Malfoy's name as though it left a foul taste in her mouth. She quickly glanced over at Neville, who was dumping the contents of a vial into his potion and then back to Malfoy. Her eyes flashed. "And you-" Suddenly she broke off, her eyes wide and she whirled around to Neville. "Neville!" she shouted. "Stop! Don't add that it's-"

Before she could finish, a tremendous boom sounded in the classroom as both Neville and Seamus's potions exploded, filling the entire room with thick pink smoke. At once everyone started coughing and tried in vain to cover their mouths from the smoke. Pansy, Parvati and Blaise were among the first to pass out, followed by Crabbe, Goyle, Dean, Lavender, Ron and Harry. Neville, Seamus, Hermione and Malfoy, who had been closest to the cauldrons, had received the brunt of the blast, but had covered their faces and didn't immediately inhale any of the smoke.

When they thought the potion had stopped spewing out smoke, Seamus and Neville lowered their arms. Unfortunately the smoke was still thick around the room, and with their mouths and noses uncovered, they breathed in the smoke and soon joined the rest of their passed out classmates. Malfoy, who had heard all the coughing and the thumps of bodies hitting the floor cautiously uncovered his head, but left his arm up over his mouth. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of the pink smoke-filled classroom and his collapsed classmates. He turned to Hermione, who had her hand firmly covering her mouth and nose. He smirked and dropped his arm to point at her, a snide remark on his lips. But as his opened his mouth, he got a whiff of the smoke. "Granger," he coughed, and then with his smirk still in place and a slightly confused look in his eyes, he fainted to the floor.

Hermione rolled her eyes and took small breaths under her hand, swaying a bit where she stood. Keeping one hand firmly over her mouth, she reached out with her free hand and grabbed the desk to steady herself. The room around her was a spinning pink haze. From somewhere she thought she heard footsteps and a shout, then suddenly the room was clear of smoke. _Must stay awake,_ she thought dizzily, fighting to stay conscious. It was no use. Shapes moved in her peripheral vision, but she could not make them out.

Suddenly she was falling. _This is going to hurt,_ she thought vaguely, and tried to throw her arms out to catch herself, but they were too heavy. It seemed to her that she fell slowly, like a leaf from a tree. Then all at once she hit something solid and she realized a pair of arms had caught her mid fall. She was now leaning against someone's chest.

"Miss Granger," a voice called, seemingly from far away. Hermione's eyes flickered. "Miss Granger!" the voice called again, louder and more urgently.

Hermione tried to force her eyes open, but her eyelids were too heavy. But she thought she recognized the voice. "P-P-Professor?" she croaked. She felt a hand on her cheek, directing her gaze.

"Miss Granger," Professor Snape said insistently. He was still holding her. "What happened?"

This was it. She needed to tell him. Professor Snape's face was only a blur of pale color before her eyes. "N-Neville," she whispered. "Asphodel."

"Asphodel?" said Professor Snape sharply. "What else?"

Hermione sank lower into Snape's arms as she slipped further into unconsciousness. "Switched…wormwood a-a-and uni-unicorn hair," Hermione murmured. "Asphodel...not nightshade…wrong vial…asphodel." And with that she finally fell into unconsciousness, her head falling again onto Professor Snape's chest.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **Hello again! I want to thank everyone who reviewed chapter one, as well as all the people who added it to their Favorites and Story Alert lists. You guys are amazing! And thanks again to Zenappa for beta-reading. You're the best!

Just so you know, I'm planning to update this fic once a week (time permitting), but since everyone gave me such a warm welcome to FanFiction and were kind enough to read and review, I'll give you another chapter today. Look for chapter three on Easter Sunday! 

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Someone was shaking her shoulder. "Mum! Mum!" a small voice said with impatience. Hermione sighed and mumbled, "Just a moment," and hoped the shaking would stop. It did. She sighed again and nestled further under the covers. She was laying on something extremely soft, like…silk sheets? She frowned but didn't open her eyes. Where was she? Certainly not the hospital wing, they didn't have silk sheets, and not in her dorm bed either. Then where?

A soft "humph" of impatience reminded Hermione of the person who woke her. Surely they would know what was going on… Hermione opened her eyes and found herself looking into the cool grey eyes of a little girl with brown curls and wearing a powder blue nightgown. "Oh," Hermione said softly, feeling a bit shocked. Where on earth was she?

The little girl looked to be about four or five years old and stood with her hands on her hips. She stared at Hermione with a pouting expression. "You said we were going to Diagon Alley today!" she huffed quietly. Hermione wondered why she was being so quiet. "You promised, Mummy!" the girl whined.

"I know dearest," Hermione soothed. "And we will. Just as soon as-" She froze as the words the little girl had said hit her. _Mummy?_

Abruptly Hermione realized there was someone else in the bed with her, providing a comfortable warmth against her back and…across her stomach? She peeked under the covers and sure enough, a pale arm was wrapped around her middle. Panic filled her and she took several deep breaths to calm herself. _One thing at a time, Hermione,_ she thought, and turned back to the little girl waiting at her bedside. She gave the girl a big smile. "As soon as Mummy gets dressed, dear. And you too. Run along and put on your jumper, you can't go out in your night things!" The words tumbled out of her mouth, as though she knew exactly what was going on and who this little girl was. Hermione felt very odd, as though she were two people at once. She felt the panic rising again and desperately tried to squash it.

The little girl was obviously unaffected by the oddness Hermione was feeling and beamed at Hermione. The smile lit up her entire face. "Ok! I love you Mummy!" she gushed before bounding out of the room. Hermione couldn't help feeling a small swell of happiness at those words, and despite everything, she smiled. She shifted her body a bit, getting ready to sit up, but the arm around her waist tightened, bringing her sharply back to the moment. She swallowed and steeled her herself, then slowly rolled over to face whoever was in bed with her, and found herself nose to nose with a sleeping Draco Malfoy.

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><p>Draco sighed in his sleep. He was having a good dream, one where his father wasn't there to stop his mother from showing the affection she would if he wasn't around. It felt like having a real family. He smiled. He was at the manor, his in king-size bed. He could feel the smooth silk sheets he always slept on under his cheek.<p>

Someone shifted beside him and his arm was wrapped around her waist. He heard soft murmuring, but didn't open his eyes. Instead he took a deep breath through his nose, inhaling the delicious scent of hazelnut coming from the woman lying beside him.

She shifted and he tightened his hold on her, pulling her closer. She moved again, this time rolling over to face him. Suddenly, a sharp gasp pulled him from the depths of sleep and his eyes flew open. He found himself staring into the shocked face of Hermione Granger.

The shock didn't register with him right away and he gazed sleepily into her wide brown eyes, at her sleep-tossed hair, her full pink lips, and down to her chest, where her cleavage peeked tantalizingly out of a low cut, pale green, silk night gown. She saw where he was looking and huffed disgustedly as she covered herself. He looked again into her angry brown eyes and suddenly it dawned on him. This was Granger. _Granger._ What in the name of Merlin's saggy left was Granger doing in his bed looking like she had just enjoyed a _very_ good night's sleep? He sat up. "What the bloody hell-"

He stopped as Hermione clapped a hand over his mouth. She had sat up with him and was now leaning toward him in order to keep his mouth covered. The position again offered him a good view of her cleavage. He smirked under her hand. Hermione seemed to realize this, because she covered herself with her other hand and glared at him. "Mind your tongue," she said sharply and quietly. "There are children about." Then she removed her hand and looked at it with disgust before wiping it on the sheets as though it were contaminated.

Draco wiped his mouth as well. "Don't touch me again, Mudblood," he spat, ignoring her warning. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes narrowed.

"You didn't seem to mind that when you were groping me this morning!" she hissed at him. Heat flooded him at the thought and briefly he wondered just how they had come to be in this position and what had led up to it. Then anger filled him and he narrowed his own eyes.

"Get out of my bed, Granger," he growled and shoved her off the mattress, ignoring her startled yelp as she tumbled to the floor.

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><p>Hermione hit the floor with a soft "whump" and she gasped at the sudden chill on her legs and arms. The night gown she was wearing was sleeveless and only came down to mid-thigh. Draco had leaned over the bed after hearing her second gasp. "Whoa, Granger," he said, his eyes raking up and down Hermione's exposed frame. She felt heat pool in her stomach under his gaze and she blushed.<p>

Desperately she looked about for something to cover herself with or her wand…_where was her wand?_ She spied it sitting on top of the bedside table and jumped up, very conscious of her extremely short gown. Draco noticed what she was after too late and Hermione grabbed her wand. A few muttered words later and her gown fell to her ankles and a she summoned a shawl to drape about her shoulders.

"That's right, cover yourself Granger, spare me from having to look at your ugly mudblood body any more than I have to," Draco said scathingly.

_That didn't pain you a moment ago,_ Hermione wanted to say, but settled for a stern glare instead. "We need to figure out what's going on and how this," she gestured at the bed and a shirtless Draco, "happened." She looked at Draco expectantly, as if waiting for him to confess.

Draco's eyebrows furrowed. "Don't try and blame this on me, Granger. The last thing I remember is Longbottom's potion exploding and everyone passing out because of the pink smoke. You were the last thing I saw before I passed out." He glared at her as it were _her_ fault they were in this situation.

Hermione pursed her lips and opened her mouth to retort when she was suddenly struck by a thought. An odd look covered her face and her eyes stared off into space. "Yes," she breathed. "Neville's potion-" She frowned. "But we shouldn't…I mean, it doesn't explain…" She shook her head. "That's the last thing I remember too. Neville's potion exploded-and Seamus's too, which is probably why the blast was so big-and we were the closest and covered our faces-that prevented us from passing out right away- and we didn't inhale the gas like everyone else did." Hermione was speaking very rapidly now, and pacing back and forth beside the bed. Draco watched her somewhat amusedly. "But then, when we uncovered our mouths and breathed it, we passed out too." She glanced at Draco, then back to the floor. "I was the last to pass out, I fell and Professor Snape caught me as I fell and was holding me-" She paused for a moment and blushed.

Draco snorted loudly and smirked. Hermione's cheeks blazed but she continued. "I had to tell him what went wrong." She stopped pacing and looked at Draco expectantly.

"And?" he drawled, still smirking.

Hermione shook her head. "Asphodel," she said as if that explained everything. When no look of comprehension appeared on Draco's face, she continued. "Neville added Powdered Root of Asphodel to his potion instead of Nightshade. He must have grabbed the wrong vial. I noticed it when we were arguing, but it was too late…" She paused to see if Draco was listening and was surprised to see an attentive look on his face.

"The Dreamless Sleep potion we were supposed to be brewing used an infusion of wormwood. There is another sleeping potion that uses an infusion of wormwood, that when mixed with powdered root of asphodel creates the Draught of Living Death." She saw Draco's eyes widen in recognition and nodded. "If Neville had brewed his potion correctly, I would say all of us would be in a deep, dreamless sleep. But…"

"Longbottom never brews his potions correctly," sneered Draco, and Hermione frowned at him.

"He would be fine if Professor Snape and you and your cronies weren't always breathing down his neck, Malfoy," Hermione snapped, throwing her best glare at Draco.

He rolled his eyes. "So what did brainless Longbottom do, exactly?"

Hermione gritted her teeth and tried to remain calm. "From what I gathered," she bit out, "Neville switched the amounts and order of the wormwood and unicorn hair before adding the asphodel…I only hope Professor Snape heard that much, I tried to tell him…" She bit her bit fretfully.

"Too overcome by the presence of Snape, eh Granger? Did you fancy him with his arms around you?" Malfoy taunted.

But Hermione had had enough. "Shut up!" he hissed, pointing her wand at him.

Draco suddenly realized he was wandless (and shirtless, but that was another matter). He cast his gaze around the room until he spotted his wand laying on the bedside table opposite of the one Hermione's had been on. He opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by a knock at the door. Both of them froze.

Just a moment!" cried Hermione, her voice a bit shrill. She kept her wand trained on Draco. "Malfoy!" he hissed. "Is this your house?" She looked calm, but her eyes betrayed a slight panic.

Draco frowned at the odd question. "Yes," he answered his voice a bit defensive. Therefore he was completely surprised when Hermione lowered her wand and walked to the door. A sudden thought came to him. "Granger," he said, his voice sounding panicked. "Did you say earlier there were children about?"

She gave him a confused look. "Yes," she said, and reached out with her left hand to open the door, running her right hand through her hair all the while. Draco's eyes went to her ring finger on her left hand and froze. He made a strangled sound in the back of his throat and looked at his own left hand. There, on his ring finger, was a golden wedding band, just like the one that glittered next to the Malfoy engagement ring on Hermione's finger. He looked wildly over at Hermione, who was busy answering the door, and it hit him. He was married. He, Draco Malfoy, was married to Hermione Granger.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **Happy Easter! I hope everyone is having a good holiday, and for those of you who don't celebrate Easter, I hope you are enjoying your weekend as well. I know I said I was going to post this on Easter Sunday...but I might be a little busy tomorrow with the holiday going on an all, so I decided to post early. :) This a bit of a shorter chapter, but I promise next week's will be longer. As always, a special thanks for Zenappa, for beta-reading this, and thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, alerted, and favorited this story so far. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Hermione opened the bedroom door with a bit of trepidation, suddenly afraid it would be Lucius or Narcissa. What would they say to her presence here? To her waking up with…Draco? She winced at the thought. So when a petite woman with jet black hair curtsied to her and said, "Good morning, Mistress," before entering, she nearly heaved a sigh of relief. She didn't have to cross the "parental bridge" just yet.

She glanced back at Draco, suddenly realizing what this must look like…her and Draco in the same bedroom, both still in their night things, cheeks flushed from arguing, making the woman wait before opening the door…she flushed, completely mortified at the thought. She glanced over again at Draco, to see if he had shown any signs of recognition with the woman, but he wasn't looking at either of them. He was staring at his hands in his lap, an expression of horror or shock on his face. Hermione couldn't decide which. Maybe it was both. Briefly she wondered what could have caused it. Then, pushing that aside, she turned her attention to the little woman in front of her.

The little woman smiled at Hermione and said, "And how are you feeling this morning, Mistress? That was quite a fall you had yesterday, had myself and Master Draco worried sick, you did." She bustled around the room, putting things in drawers and picking things up as she went.

Hermione couldn't help but look surprised and she glanced back at Draco again. _Malfoy? __Worried about her? Please. And Harry Potter is a Death Eater._ Still, she could help but wonder what had happened to her yesterday…

The little woman continued talking, so Hermione focused her attention back on her, leaving her thoughts for a later time. "So," the woman said in her peppy voice, "Are you sure you're up to an outing today, Mistress?"

Hermione didn't know where the words came from, but she found herself answering, "I'm fine, thank you, and yes, I will be going out today, so could you please, Rilla, make sure Naomi is ready?" She smiled, despite the panic that was rising in her again. _Rilla? Naomi? How do I know these names?_ she thought wildly.

Rilla, as the little woman was apparently called, sensed nothing out of the ordinary and answered Hermione's requests with a smile and a curtsey. "Of course, Mrs. Malfoy. I'll have Naomi dressed straight away."

Hermione's head snapped up. "What?" she said, a bit sharply. "What did you call me?" The panic was reaching a dangerous level, but perhaps she simply misheard.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mistress Hermione, I know you don't like to be addressed as Mrs. Malfoy except on formal occasions, sometimes it slips my mind. Do forgive me." She curtsied again.

Numbly Hermione nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak. Bile was rising in her throat, she felt weak and sick to her stomach. With dread she looked down at her hand and swallowed hard when she saw the two rings resting on her finger.

Wildly she looked at Draco, all at once understanding his look of horror earlier. He was watching her with the same look of fear mirrored on Hermione's face. He seemed to have lost all color. Suddenly the image of the little girl with the brown curls and the cool grey eyes calling her "Mummy" flashed before her eyes which widened frantically as she glanced from the rings to Draco to the bed. Her breaths started coming faster and faster. The little girl. Waking up beside Draco. Mummy. That meant...her and Draco…they…

All at once everything sunk in and blackness filled Hermione's vision as she crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.

Minutes later Hermione blinked back into consciousness to the sounds of Rilla's concerned voice. "Mistress Hermione! Mistress!" she cried. Hermione groaned a bit and realized she was being held. She looked up and saw Draco gazing down at her, a look of discomfort on his face. Her back burned where Draco's hand rested, holding her up.

"Are you alright, Mistress? Do you feel queasy? I know the morning sickness bothered you with the girls, but you never had fainting spells." Rilla knelt beside Hermione, tittering on nervously.

Both Hermione and Draco choked a bit at the words "girls" and "morning sickness", but neither one could find their voice. Rilla continued, not even noticing their stunned faces. "I think we should take you to Saint Mungos," she said, fanning Hermione with a hand fan she had conjured. "Healer Lee will want to check on you and the baby."

Draco stiffened and made a sharp intake of breath.

"B-baby?" whispered Hermione, barely able to choke the word out.

Rilla patted her arm reassuringly. "Don't worry dear; I'm sure your baby is fine. But since you're only a couple months along it would be best to check, Mistress."

Hermione had lost all remaining color. She stared down at her stomach, then up to Draco, who was also staring at her stomach, a look of shock frozen on his face, then back to the reassuring face of Rilla. _What is happening to us?_ she thought wildly, then with a few choked out breaths, she fainted again.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **Wow, you guys are amazing! I woke up this morning to 13 reviews for chapter 3! I couldn't ask for a better surprise on Easter morning. :) So, since you are so wonderful, I decided to give you another chapter today. My goal is to post at least a chapter a week; I'll try not to make you wait too much longer than that for each chapter. And before I let you get to it, I just want to thank Zenappa, my wonderful beta-reader, all the 67 people who have added an alert for this story, the 30 who added it to your favorites, and the 27 people who have review so far. I really love to get feedback, so thank you so much! Now, without further ado, here is chapter 4. Enjoy!

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><p>.<p>

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**Chapter 4**

_"Enervate,"_

Hermione blinked against the bright light of the room. She was in a small bed with white cotton sheets. _A hospital bed. Had everything with Malfoy been a dream?_ She certainly hoped so.

"Madame Pomfrey? Professor?" Hermione's voice cracked and she heard a titter of laughter from the foot of her bed.

"Oh no, dear," a sweet, girlish voice said. "My name is Marnie, and I'll be your Assistant Healer today."

Hermione tried to sit up. "Who-Wha-what? Where am I?" she said, looking around. She was in some sort of hospital room. Odd equipment and screens lined the far wall. This wasn't like any sort of hospital she'd ever been in, yet she kept feeling an odd sense of deja-vu and thought it was similar to the way she felt earlier when speaking with Rilla and the little girl.

Marnie put a light hand on Hermione's shoulder, forcing her to lie back down. "Just relax, Mrs. Malfoy. You've had a few fainting spells, so your husband brought you straight here. Just sit tight, Healer Lee will be here in just a moment to examine you and make sure the baby is okay."

Hermione choked. Panic returned. It hadn't been a dream. It was real. "Baby?" she squeaked.

"I'm sure everything will be fine, Mrs. Malfoy, said Marnie soothingly, ignoring Hermione's flinch when called "Mrs. Malfoy."

"I'll just send Mr. Malfoy in, dear. He is most anxious to speak with you," Marnie said with her reassuring smile that did anything but reassure Hermione. A fresh wave of panic and confusion washed over her. _Baby? Husband? Mrs. Malfoy? Mr. Malfoy? _For a wild moment Hermione thought Lucius Malfoy would stride into the room, but the tall blond man who entered was not the menacing Lucius, but his son, Draco.

He smirked when he saw her. "Relax, Granger," he drawled, seemingly taking pleasure in her discomfort. "Or should I say, _Mrs. Malfoy?" _

Hermione's eyes darted to Draco's left hand and she prayed to all the powers at be she wouldn't see a ring there. Draco caught her line of sight and held his ringed finger for her to see. "Yep, it's official, Granger. We really are married."

"Damn." The word escaped Hermione's lips before she could stop it.

Draco raised his eyebrows and a cruel but amused smile played about his lips. "It's not like I'm jumping for joy here, Granger." The smile slipped from his face. "I wonder how long we've been married?"

"At least four years," said Hermione promptly. He looked at her incredulously and she blushed. "I-" she started, then cleared her throat. "We must have been," she said a little tentatively. "I mean, Naomi is four years old."

Confusion covered Draco's face. "Who is Naomi?"

Hermione looked away. "She's our daughter," she said.

Draco snorted, and she turned back to him. "That can't be-" Draco broke off, sudden realization and shock blooming on his face. "She is," he said slowly. "I don't know how I know, but-"

"You just do," Hermione finished for him. He looked at her with the same look of panic she had given him when he entered the room.

"And we have another daughter. A two year old. Her name is-"

"Evanna," Hermione nodded, and looked down at her stomach. "And apparently we have another one on the way…"

There was a sharp intake of breath from Draco. "No," he said. Hermione looked up, startled by his vehemence. He was staring at her stomach with horror. "No, you-you can't, we didn't, I wouldn't…"

"Well obviously you did," Hermione said crossly.

"No!" said Draco loudly. "I will not have a mudblood bear my children! I don't even want children!"

Resentment colored Hermione's face. "A little late for that, don't you think, Malfoy?" she said coldly. "Anyway, I don't know why you're so upset, it's not you who just found out you were pregnant…" Hermione's voice rose in pitch a little.

"You don't know why I'm upset?" Draco shouted. "I've woken up to find myself married to a mudblood know-it-all, I'm apparently a father and about to become one again, I'm missing at least four years of my life, and YOU DON'T KNOW WHY I'M SO UPSET?" Draco was half screaming now.

Tears pricked Hermione's eyes. "This can't be happening!" she cried.

"Well it is," Draco said coldly. "And you-"

"Is everything alright, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy?" asked a soft voice from the doorway. Draco whirled about to face a tall man with sandy brown hair dusted with grey and wearing a Healer's robe.

"Oh!" said Hermione. "Healer Lee! Yes, yes, everything's fine, I'm just a bit, um, distraught I suppose."

Draco raised his eyebrows at this statement, but otherwise said nothing and gave no other sign to show his discomfort with the situation. Hermione bit her lip. She knew this discussion was far from over. How were they going to sort out this mess?

Healer Lee smiled at the pair of them. "Never fear, Hermione, I will check on that baby of yours, but I am confident everything will be fine. The Malfoys are a tough lot!" His soft, calm voice soothed Hermione, and she couldn't help but relax a little at his words. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Malfoy puff up a bit at the Healer's words, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Now Hermione, I'm going to lift your robe so I can see your stomach, okay? Just like last time. Now lay back, relax, that's it." Hermione shut her eyes against the image of Draco standing off to the right, smirking at her.

"I'm going to listen to your heart for a moment, ok, Hermione? So slow, deep breaths now, in…and out….in….and out…in….good, now out. It's a bit faster than normal, but I suspect it's just from all the excitement you've had today."

Hermione nodded weakly. _You have no idea, Healer Lee,_ she thought.

Healer Lee pulled out his and. "Now you'll probably feel some warmth on your stomach, but nothing uncomfortable, I promise. Now let's have a look at your baby, shall we? Hermione, Draco, if you'll just have a look at the screen right up there." They turned to look at a large screen on the wall to their left; the one Hermione had noticed when she first woke up. Healer lee waved his wand in a circle over Hermione's stomach then flicked it. A small warmth, like the rays of the sun tickled Hermione's stomach, and briefly she wondered how the spell worked. An image quite like the ones Hermione had seen of muggle ultrasounds appeared on the screen, and Hermione gasped.

Draco, who had been silently smirking this entire time, now stared at the screen with his mouth open. In any other circumstance, Hermione might have thought it was funny. But as it was she could only stare, like Draco, in wonder and shock at the little fetus on the screen. The image was much clearer than Hermione had expected- she could see tiny fingers and toes starting to form. All at once she was struck with the idea that there was a tiny person growing inside her. "Beautiful," she breathed. "Amazing."

Healer Lee beamed at her. "Yes, it is isn't it? And no matter how many times I see it, the birth of a baby is the most miraculous, the most amazing, and the most wonderful thing I've ever seen."

Hermione sneaked a peek at Draco to see if he would say anything, but he was still gaping at the image in silence, as though he couldn't quite believe it.

Healer Lee was beaming ear to ear. "Everything looks fine," he said. "So let's listen to the heartbeat for a moment to be sure." He waved his wand again over Hermione's stomach and she felt the warm, tickling sensation again. Then she heard it. It was quiet at first, but as soon as she realized what it was it got louder and stronger, a rhythmic thump-thump, thump-thump of a tiny heartbeat. Hermione felt her own heart swell in her chest and despite everything that had happened, she smiled. Again she glanced over at Draco, whose eyes had widened at the sound of the heartbeat. He seemed to be in some state of shock.

"Yes, that's one healthy baby you've got there, Hermione," said Healer Lee. "You're doing beautifully. Just try not to have any more fainting spells and if you feel dizzy or weak, try and sit down until it passes." Hermione nodded. "Draco," Healer Lee said. Draco looked at him with wide eyes. "Make sure she doesn't do anything too strenuous for a while." He waggled an eyebrow at Draco, who blushed, but took the Healer's hand and shook it. "Right then," said Healer Lee, still chuckling a bit, "You can take her home now. Have a good day, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. See you at your next appointment." Then he disappeared down the hallway, leaving a dazed and shocked Hermione and Draco behind.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **Hello everyone! I just want to thank everyone for all the support I've been getting on this story. I'm glad so many of you are enjoying it, because I am enjoying writing it very much. Special thanks again to Zenappa, my beta reader for this chapter. You're wonderful, darling! Oh, and if you are so inclined, please leave a review. I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas on what should happen next! Have a good day!

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Draco was silent as they exited the hospital. He noticed Hermione glancing at him every few seconds and braced himself for her mouth, but she stayed quiet. She seemed to be struggling with her thoughts and kept making odd faces and wrinkling her brow. They walked in silence down the sidewalk until they reached a small alley. Then Draco grabbed Hermione's arm and muttered, "Hold on," before apparating* to Malfoy Manor.

When they arrived, he immediately dropped her arm as if it were something unpleasant and ignored her string of reprimands. As he strode towards the front door of the Manor, he stared up at its foreboding structure, his gaze searching for some clue that this wasn't real. He couldn't be married to Mudblood Granger, he just couldn't be. The wedding band on his finger seemed t burn for a moment and he winced. He wasn't just imagining this. It was real. And being married to Granger wasn't even the worst part. The faces of two little girls, one with bushy brown hair, the other with blonde curls, both with cool grey eyes danced in his mind. He'd never seen them before, but somehow he knew their names and faces, that the brown haired one adored going to the beach and the blonde one always drank a cup of warm milk before bed. The knowledge scared him. He didn't know how or why he knew it, but the fact that he did made this strange life he had woken up to more real.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw Hermione walking slowly up the walk, a far away expression on her face. She was smiling, and he knew she was thinking of the baby she now carried inside her. The baby both of them had seen on the screen as St. Mungos. _Their_ baby.

A lump formed in his throat. No. This has got to stop. "Granger!" he snapped, making her jump. "Hurry up, we haven't got all day." He glared at her as she hurried up beside him and pushed open the door.

Immediately something small and blonde attached itself to his leg and seconds later, a shrill, "Mummy! Daddy!" was heard from down the hall. Draco looked up to see the little brown-haired girl come bounding down the hallway. She was a Granger miniature - bushy brown hair, small, petite figure, and a button nose. Only her eyes were different. She had _his_ eyes. Draco's eyes. Gulping, Draco stared down at the little blonde girl holding his leg.

"My girls!" cried Hermione and knelt down to hug them. Draco looked at her sharply, his mouth slightly agape. "Come here, my beautiful girls," Hermione said, and the brown haired girl threw herself into Hermione's open arms. Draco felt the blonde release his leg and totter over to her as well.

The happy scene lasted for a second more before the brown-haired girl -_which one was she? _Draco thought, wracking his brain as she pushed herself from Hermione's embrace, stuck her chin up in the air, put her hands on her hips and demanded, "Where were you?"

Draco almost laughed. The girl looked exactly like Hermione when she was angry. If he hadn't been so shocked by the word "Daddy" he might have smiled. Served Granger right.

Hermione looked taken aback for a moment, but then she smiled as said, "Daddy had to take me to the Healers because I fell this morning and we wanted to make sure the baby was alright." Draco made a strangled sound at her words. Hermione gave him an odd look before returning her attention to the girl before them. The change in her demeanor was instantaneous.

"Is the baby okay?" she asked, concern in her little voice. Hermione nodded.

"Yes. The baby is perfectly healthy." Then she smiled a knowing smile that made Draco's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "I'll still take you to Diagon Alley, dear, just as I promised." The little girl's face broke out into a huge smile. She squealed and clapped her hands before throwing herself back into Hermione's arms.

It was strange to see Granger like this, in his own house of all places. Draco didn't think he'd ever seen her look so happy, and for a moment he worried she wouldn't want to fix this. He jumped as Hermione stood.

"Okay Naomi," she said in her bossy tone of voice, "Take your sister and go play while I get some breakfast and change my clothes. We'll go as soon as I'm done, okay?" Naomi- _that was her name!_ -nodded and took her little sister's hand.

"Come on, Vanna," she said, pulling on the blonde's arm. They started to walk away but suddenly the blonde stopped and looked up at Draco. She, Vanna, _Evanna_, thought Draco, remembering her name, pointed at him and said something fast and mumbled. Draco couldn't understand any of it, but he thought he heard the word "Da." Naomi however, must have had no problem understanding because he nodded and addressed Hermione. "Had Daddy been stoo-fied?" Draco looked at Hermione blankly. _What as stoo-fied?_

Hermione however caught on right away. To his complete surprise, she laughed. "Oh no dear, Daddy hasn't been stupefied. He's just happy about the baby being okay." Draco looked stunned.

Naomi looked at him doubtfully. "He doesn't look happy," she said. "He looks lost."

Hermione's eyebrows shot up in surprise and she opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, the maid from earlier that morning-Rilla, he thought her name was-entered the hallway.

"Oh, Mistress Hermione! Master Draco! Is everything alright?"

Hermione smiled at her. _Why was she always smiling?_ thought Draco irritably. "The baby and I are fine, Rilla," said Hermione. "Could you watch the girls while I eat breakfast? Then I'll change and be ready to take them out."

"Of course, Mistress," said Rilla with a curtsey. Draco sneered. Why did they have her anyway? Where were the house elves?

Hermione nodded briskly to the girls. "Go on girls. Mummy's got to get ready!" The girls ran down the hall to Rilla's side and followed her down the hall and out of sight. As soon as they were gone, Hermione rounded on Draco, a fierce expression on her face, not unlike the one Naomi had given her moments ago. "What is the matter with you?" she hissed. "I know this is all very strange, but couldn't you at least _pretend_ for the girls' sakes?" She glared at him, and anger suddenly rose up inside Draco. He grabbed Hermione's arm and dragged her into the nearest room, which happened to be a sitting room. He slammed the door.

"The matter with me is the fact that we are inexplicably stuck in the future or some parallel dream world with no foreseeable way out! I will _not_ be married to you, Granger! I know it would probably be a dream come true for you, marrying a pureblood-"

"How dare you?" she screeched, but Draco pressed on.

"-but I will not stand for it! And I won't have children with you! I don't know who those little brats belong to, but they aren't mine. Do you actually think I would willingly-"

SMACK! For a second time in his life, Draco felt the sting of Hermione's hand as is slapped across his face. "Enough!" she screeched. Draco put a hand to his cheek, shock and outrage registering on his face. Hermione was practically shaking with anger. "You, you foul, vile, loathsome little cockroach!" Her nostrils flared and she had her wand raised. "Do you think that I'm not just as eager to get out of this world as you are? That I would actually _enjoy_ being married to you? That I am happy to be the mother of your children?" Her voice hitched, and she lowered her wand slightly. "We have to play by the rules of this world while we're here. That includes being married and having children and-" She huffed. "Bloody hell, Malfoy, don't you have a heart? How could you say that after seeing those girls and our-the baby?"

Draco clenched his fist around his wand and gritted his teeth. "Quite easily, Granger. I never asked for any of this."

Hermione sputtered. "Well neither did I!" He held up a hand to stop her.

"All I want is to get the bloody hell out of here. I see no reason to "play along". This isn't real. It can't be." He stopped and ran his hand through his blond hair, then looked at Hermione expectantly. "Well?"

She scoffed. "Well what?"

"You're the bloody know-it-all, how do we fix this?"

"I don't know." Hermione folded her arms primly.

"What? What do you mean you don't know?" Draco looked murderous.

Hermione sniffed. "Exactly what I said. I. Don't. Know." She turned to leave the room.

"Wha-hey! Where do you think you're going? We've got to fix this!" Draco leapt forward and grabbed Hermione's arm, pulling her back into the room. He jerked out of his grip.

"I am going to find something to eat. Then I am taking our daughters to Diagon Alley, like I promised."

Draco sputtered. "What? You did no such thing-hey! Wait!" Hermione paused in the doorway. "I need to get of here now!"

Hermione slowly turned around, a look of pure haughtiness on her face. "Then you'd better get to work, Malfoy. I always find the library to be a good place to start." Then she flounced away, leaving Draco standing alone in the empty room, a look of outrage on his face.

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><p><strong>*Author's Note:<strong> I know students don't learn to apparate until their 6th year (and this story is set sometime during their 5th –I needed Snape to be Potions Master), but let's just pretend, for the moment that Draco and Hermione already know how. And _technically_ they are older (being married for four years and all) so they would have had apparation lessons, even if they don't remember them. It's just knowledge they have coming into this world, like the names of their children and servants, and Hermione's feeling of familiarity in the hospital room. Just wanted to clear that up. For more extensive explanations, PM me. I'm always happy to answer questions!


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **I am absolutely amazed at all the support I am getting for this story! All your reviews and alerts are really encouraging. I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations. Thanks for reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Hermione fumed as she stomped down the Manor hallway. How dare he? That insufferable boy! _Man,_ her subconscious reminded her. _I don't care,_ she viciously thought. Malfoy can stuff it. It would do him some good to flounder on his own a bit. Besides, Hermione wanted to spend some time with her new daughters. She made her way to the kitchen, ignoring the fact that she found it easily, as though she had done with many times before. When she reached the kitchen door, she roughly pushed it, causing it to fly open with a bang. She marched through the door and stopped. Three house elves stood around the kitchen, cooking, washing dishes, and sweeping. Hermione at once opened her mouth to tell them they were free to go, when she realized they were all wearing clean little outfits. One of them was even wearing one of Hermione's poorly knitted hats. These were free elves!

"Missy Hermione!" cried the elves, rushing forward. "We is seeing Master Draco has upset you and we will make your favorite pancakes!" Hermione's anger disappeared instantly and her mouth, which had dropped open in shock, turned into a beaming smile.

"Thank you! But I don't want to trouble you."

"Not at all, Missy Hermione! We is loving to please Mrs. Malfoy, who set us free and gave us a home." Hermione's tense shoulders dropped and she let go of the last of her anger. These were free elves and she had helped them. Suddenly she found herself smiling at all of them.

"Thank you, dear ones! That sounds wonderful." She sat down at the small table in the kitchen. At first she wondered why the table was so small, but then realized that the Malfoys probably had a dining room. They probably never ate in the kitchen. The pancakes were finished in minutes and as soon as Hermione put the first forkful in her mouth, she groaned aloud. "Gods! These are amazing! Thank you Minnie!" She exclaimed, the name of the elf chef popping into her mind just as the names of her daughters had. The odd feeling this gave her sharply reminded her of her predicament. As lovely as this was, it wasn't her real life. She needed to get back to Hogwarts, to her friends—

Suddenly her eyes flew open and she smacked her hand to her forehead. Her friends! If she and Malfoy were here in this messed up reality, shouldn't her friends be here too? They were in the potions accident too. Immediately she straightened and began wolfing down her breakfast as fast as possible, as she often did when she had a project to work on. The house elves didn't comment on Hermione's sudden attack on her food, so she assumed they were used to it.

_I'll owl them as soon as I finish and have them meet me in Diagon Alley,_ she thought to herself, her mind buzzing with plans. She didn't want to invite them to the Manor, no matter what this strange world believed. Hermione was not and would _never_ be a Malfoy.

Satisfied with her plans, Hermione nodded to herself and jumped up from the table. The house elves immediately began clearing away the mess. Hermione thanked them again for her lovely breakfast, then dashed out of the kitchen and up the stairs, relying on her instincts to guide her. She was not disappointed. She walked confidently up the stairs and down the hall and found herself at the door of the bedroom she and Malfoy had woken up in.

Hermione blushed, thinking of that morning and felt a small burning sensation in her stomach as she remembered Malfoy's arm wrapped around her. She shook her head violently. _No,_ she told herself fiercely in her head. Any feelings she was having was the result of being in this world, not because she was actually feeling anything for the blond git. She shuddered. She'd rather wake up next to a blast-end skrewt.

Having firmly banished any untoward thoughts or feelings, Hermione marched into the room and without a glance at the giant bed, she crossed the bedroom and entered a doorway to an adjoining room. She knew at once that this was her private room. The wall paper, hangings, carpet and decorations were all red and gold, the colors of Gryffindor. There were several large oak bookshelves overflowing with books, a large desk covered in bits of parchment, quills and ink bottles, and even, to Hermione's great surprise, a muggle radio. There was also a small vanity in one corner of the room, next to another door. Hermione headed straight for this door, ignoring the urge to thumb through the great stacks of books everywhere.

When she opened the door, she had to stifle a gasp. Before her was huge closet, filled to the brim with gowns, robes and quite a few muggle clothes, shoes, jewelry and other accessories. It would be nearly any girl's dream closet. For Hermione, who had never given much thought to clothes besides comfort and practicality, it was merely overwhelming, like having a private store at her disposal. "What on earth would I do with all these clothes?" she asked aloud.

"Wear them, of course, my dear!" said a voice. Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin. She whirled about, her wand held high, a jinx on her lips. There was no one there.

Without relaxing, she demanded, "Who's there? Where are you?"

"I'm right here darling," said the voice, coming from Hermione's left side. Cautiously Hermione inched into the room, keeping her wand held high. "See? Right here," the voice said again, and Hermione cried, _"Expelliarmus!"_ and pointed her wand at the voice.

"Well, that won't do you much good, dear. Can't imagine what you would need to disarm me of," said the voice, sounding a bit offended. Hermione's mouth dropped open just a fraction. The voice was coming from a large, ornate mirror that hung on the wall to her left.

"An enchanted mirror!" Hermione exclaimed. "But where ever did I get one?"

"I was a gift, darling, from the most excellent Miss Lavender Brown," the mirror replied smoothly. Hermione thought it was a bit unnerving.

"But what use would an enchanted mirror be to me?" Hermione asked.

The mirror made an odd sound that sounded very much like an offended sniff. "To make sure you look fabulous, obviously. And we both know how much help you need in _that _department."

Now it was Hermione's turn to sniff offendedly. "I hardly think I have time for such foolish frippery," she snapped.

The mirror laughed and Hermione winced. It was such an odd sound! "My dear, you are a Malfoy. Malfoys _always_ look fabulous."

"Hmph," said Hermione, as she crossed her arms and scowled. "I won't be for long," she said. "As soon as I can figure out a way out of this mess, I am out of here."

_"What?"_ the mirror screeched. Hermione covered her ears and glared at the mirror. "Trouble in the Malfoy marriage? In paradise? Wait until the girls hear about this!" The mirror chattered on excitedly. Hermione frowned and was reminded of the silly girls at Hogwarts who gossiped instead of focusing on their studies. She got the feeling that she hated this mirror, and wondered why on earth she had kept it. Then the things the mirror was saying reached her brain.

"Hang on, what do you mean, wait until the girls hear about this?" Hermione demanded.

"Oh, you know, the other mirrors," the mirror said airily. "You didn't think I stuck around here all day did you?" the mirror said in a tone that clearly implied the mirror liked Hermione just as much as Hermione liked the mirror.

"But where-" Hermione said, curiosity flowing into her voice.

"Trade secret, my dear," the mirror said, effectively cutting her off. "Now, I don't want to be here long, so where are you going today? Diagon Alley with the girls? Hmm, I suppose you'll insist on wearing those ridiculous muggle pants—jeans, yes? Well, second drawer down in the dresser behind you. Wear the jeans on top of the pile. And as for a top, I think the spring green blouse, it's hanging over there on the end of the rack, dear, and there's a dark green jacket for you to wear over top, easily transfigurable to a respectable robe once you get to Diagon Alley."

Hermione blinked as the mirror rapidly told her what to wear. "I can pick out my own clothes," she said, but the mirror ignored her.

"For shoes, well, since you're pregnant, I suppose the little black flats will look well enough. The silver sandals would be cuter, my dear, if you're so inclined...?" The mirror trailed off and again Hermione felt disconcerted, talking to a mirror with no face, only her own reflection. _Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain!_ Mrs. Weasley had always cautioned them. It was sound advice, Hermione thought. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get dressed!" the mirror ordered impatiently.

Hermione glared at it haughtily and proceeded to dress herself in the clothes the mirror had suggested—very slowly. She smirked as she heard the mirror huff out a sigh more than once during her slow progress. As she got dressed, Hermione again felt the odd sense of familiarity, and smiled at the thought of ticking off this snotty mirror every morning.

When she was finally dressed, Hermione stood in front of the mirror to inspect her reflection. She prepared to argue with the mirror, who would undoubtedly tell her how terrible she looked, and was pleasantly surprised at what she saw. She looked, as the mirror had said earlier, fabulous. The outfit complimented the shape of her body and the green set off her cinnamon eyes nicely. The mirror made a sound of approval, and if it were possible to feel a smirk, Hermione felt the mirror smirking. "I told you dear, it is my job to make you look fabulous."

Hermione rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her bushy hair. She closed her eyes a minute, then pointed her wand at her hair and caused it to pull back in a neat bun on top of her head. The mirror sniffed again. "That is acceptable, I suppose," it said in a disdainful voice.

Hermione snorted. "Good day to you too," she said then left the closet without another word. As she left she could hear the mirror muttering, saying something like "Ungrateful, snarky, bushy-haired twit..." Hermione put a hand over her mouth to stop the laugh that threatened to spill out of her. Malfoy would like that mirror, she decided.

Still smirking, she sat down and composed a few short letters to her friends. Biting her lip, she reread them to make sure they didn't sound too strange. Her friends, after all, might not realize this was not real. She had decided to send a simple invitation to join her in Diagon Alley. Each one read:

_Hello, I hope you are well. Would you care to join me for lunch in Diagon Alley today? I'd like to visit and catch up with you, if I could. Meet me in front of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor at noon if you can make it. Much love, Hermione._

Hermione nodded in satisfaction. Surely that would not be too bad? Quickly she addressed the letters to Ron and Harry and summoned one of the house elves. Minnie appeared immediately with the usual crack of apparation. "Yes, Missy Hermione?" the elf asked.

"Could you have an owl deliver these for me, please? I must get going, I've already kept the girls waiting too long." Minne bowed and took the letters from Hermione. "Oh, thank you Minnie, you are ever so helpful." Hermione beamed at her then took off down the hall.

Minnie looked down at the letters her mistress had given her and frowned. "But Mistress, wait!" she called after Hermione, but Hermione had already disappeared down the hall. Minnie would have to tell her later.

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><p>As soon as Hermione had stomped down the hall, Draco let loose a string of curses that would have made his father blush. How dare that dirty little mudblood chit speak to him that way! Who did she think she was, marching about his own house as if she owned the place? The ring on his left hand felt heavy, as if reminding him that she <em>did<em> have a right to march about his house. Whatever. That was a load of bollocks anyway. This wasn't real, and he wasn't about to play along. He was just going to focus on getting the hell out of there and back to Hogwarts.

He snorted derisively as he thought about the mudblood's words. _"I always find the library to be a good place to start,"_ Draco said aloud in a high, shrill voice. He slammed his fist down on the table in front of him. "Damn her!"

He stomped from the room, much in the same way Hermione had earlier and made his way to the Manor library. It was a large collection with many rare books the Malfoy family had picked up through the years. Surely there would be something in one of these books about what had happened? Sneering, he made his way to the books about potions while silently thinking up ways to get back at the mudblood for yelling at him.

He grabbed a few heavy tomes off the shelves and sat down at the desk in the library. As he leafed through the first book, his stomach growled and he was reminded that he had gotten no breakfast since he had to take Granger to Saint Mungos to check on—he grimaced—the baby. That was a whole other problem, and Draco refused to deal with it. This wasn't real, and he wasn't going to accept that Granger was carrying his child. _But you saw the fetus, _his mind whispered wickedly. _And the little girls. Naomi with your gray eyes, and Evanna, with your blonde hair. _Draco shook his head violently. "No!" he shouted. "They're not mine, they're not real!"

But even to him, the words lacked conviction. What if he really was stuck like this? Gritting his teeth, he angrily summoned a house elf. "Get me some breakfast," he snapped, as soon as the elf appeared. He took no note of its strange assortment of clothes. "Eggs and toast, and some pumpkin juice," he said meanly without even glancing at the elf.

"Yes Master Draco," said the elf before she disappeared. She reappeared minutes later, holding a tray with Draco's breakfast. "Here you are, sir, just as you like it," she said, putting the tray on the desk in front of him. Draco made no reply of any kind and immediately started eating the toast. As he picked up his goblet of pumpkin juice he realized the elf was still there. He turned to give it a stern reprimand and caught sight of its clothes.

The words died on his tongue and he almost spit out the drink he had just taken. Instead he swallowed roughly and shouted, "What the bloody hell are you wearing, elf?"

The elf, whose name was Sunny, jumped in fright at Draco's shout. "I-I is wearing my clotheses, s-sir," she stuttered, terrified of answering Draco's question wrong. The Master was not normally like this. It must have been because the Master and Mistress were fighting.

Draco looked furious. Pale pink patches appeared on his cheeks and his nostrils flared. "Clothes?" he shouted. Mutely, Sunny nodded. "Granger!" shouted Draco. Sunny disappeared with a loud crack, not wanting to hear any more shouting.

_Freeing my bloody house elves, she has no right, damn that mudblood! _Draco paced angrily around the room, his thoughts swirling about in his head. When they got out of this mess, Draco was going to kill Granger.


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **Since I love you all so much, I decided to post two chapters this week. Read and enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

From somewhere in the house, Hermione heard Malfoy shouting and throwing things. She rolled her eyes. Would he ever grow up? She bent down to fasten the buttons on Evanna's coat. Naomi stood at her side, practically dancing with excitement. "Can we go now, Mummy?" she asked impatiently. Hermione smiled down at the girl.

"Yes dear, now we can go."

"Yes!" shouted Naomi, jumping up in the air. Hermione laughed, then jumped as she heard Malfoy's angry shout of "Granger!" from somewhere down the hall.

"Let's get going girls," she said, casting a quick glance at the hallway. She really didn't want the girls to have to deal with an angry Malfoy. She picked up Evanna and took Naomi by the hand. "Do you want to use the floo powder for me, dear?" she asked Naomi. The little girl nodded enthusiastically and took a handful of the powder.

"Diagon Alley!" she called out clearly and threw the powder at her feet. Hermione tightened her grip on both the girls as green flames enveloped them and they were sucked through what felt like a tube, passing grate after grate before finally stopping at the Leaky Cauldron.

"I did it Mummy!" Naomi said proudly.

"Yes you did," said Hermione fondly squeezing Naomi's hand. "Now come on girls, let's get out of the grate and brush ourselves off, in case anyone else is coming," Hermione said briskly. She brushed a bit of soot off her shoulder, then pulled out her wand and scourgified any remaining dirt off her and the girls.

Still holding Evanna, she led Naomi to the back of the pub. Tom, the barman nodded respectfully as she passed, and all the girls gave him brilliant smiles. Hermione tapped her wand on the wall and watched as it opened up. Naomi and Evanna thought this was amazing, and gasped in pleasure, much as Hermione had when she had first seen it.

"Can we go to the bookstore first, Mummy?" begged Naomi, tugging on Hermione's hand. Hermione laughed. _Definitely my child,_ she thought.

"Yes, of course dear," Hermione assured the girl, who beamed in response.

"Get book?" asked Evanna, wiggling in Hermione's arms.

A sudden sinking feeling assailed Hermione. She had no money with her, and no idea where her key to her vault in Gringotts was. How would she buy things for the girls? She bit her lip. "Yes dear," she assured Evanna. Perhaps the Malfoys have a tab. Surely everyone knows they'd be good for it. She put it out of mind for the moment.

They made their way through the crowd slowly, with Naomi and Evanna wanting to stop and look at something every few minutes. Hermione was also surprised to find so many people nodding their head towards her and saying hello. _Is this how Malfoy feels when he goes out? Surely everyone isn't this friendly towards him,_ she thought while smiling at witch in violet robes who had just stopped to say hello and wish Hermione and her family, "the best of health."

Finally they reached the bookstore. Before the entered, Hermione bent down and pulled both the girls close to her so she could talk to them. "Now girls, I want you to stick close to me in here, alright? No running off to look at something without asking," she said with a firm look at Naomi. The girls nodded. "Alright then, let's go!" said Hermione, and the girls giggled and followed her into the store.

Once inside, Hermione breathed deeply, inhaling the smell of fresh parchment mingled with ink and leather. She sighed. At least some things didn't change. She was itching to explore the potions section to see if she could find any books that might help with her and Malfoy's situation, but Naomi and Evanna dragged her over to the kid's section of the bookstore. Despite the seriousness of her predicament, Hermione couldn't help but grin in delight as she and the girls looked through the brightly colored books. Wizard children's books were much different than muggle children's books. The illustrations, of course, could move and make sound, making the whole thing much more hands-on and exciting. Evanna found a story about a dragon she loved, and Naomi picked one about a goblin. Hermione couldn't say no to their pleading faces, so once again she silently prayed that the name Malfoy would allow for a tab.

Once the girls had picked out their books, Hermione took them over to the potions section. Both girls immediately sat down with their books, leaving Hermione free to browse without worrying they would wander off. She scanned the titles, pulling several promising looking ones down right away. They were _Potions of the Night: For Sleep, Dreams, and Death, Potions Gone Wrong: Magical Mayhem, _and_ Antidotes for Every Occasion. _Hermione frantically thumbed through them, hoping to find some clue to help her out of this situation.

She was so engrossed in her task that she didn't see the blonde witch right away. It wasn't until the witch loudly exclaimed, "As I live and breathe, it's Hermione Granger!"

At the use of her last name, Hermione's head jerked up. "Yes?" she said hopefully. Her eyes met those of the blonde witch, and her face fell a bit. This was not someone she recognized from her old life, but the faint tugs of recognition plagued her and she knew that Hermione Malfoy knew this woman.

The woman beamed at Hermione. "Are you here to tell me you've decided to write another novel?" Excitement oozed out of her every word. She looked at Hermione eagerly. "Please tell me you are. After the wild success of your last few, your readers are just dying for more!"

Confusion filled Hermione. _Novels? My readers? I...I've written a book? _Shock was written across her face, and before she could answer, Naomi pipped up. "Mummy writes all the time!" she said proudly. The blonde witch turned to the little girl.

"Does she? I bet you're very proud of your mum, aren't you?" Naomi flashed the witch a brilliant smile and nodded. The blonde witch was now grinning ear to ear. "Will you sign my book, Mrs. Malfoy?"

Hermione started at the use of her Malfoy name. "Oh, of course," she stammered. The witch produced a book and a quill seemingly out of nowhere. Tentatively, Hermione took the book. It was titled _Tower Hauntings,_ and seemed to be a mystery of some sort. Her eyes widened at the sight of her name, Hermione Granger, written across the front. Quickly she opened it to the first page and signed her name and a short message with the quill.

"There you go, and you must excuse me now, I have an appointment later and I must see to my purchases," Hermione said, handing the witch back her book and pushing her daughters through the crowd. She was still mulling over the strange fact that she was an author when she reached the counter and when she looked up, she gave a start. Right beside the counter was an enormous display with her picture on it and half a dozen rows of books. Open mouthed, she scanned the titles; _Tower Hauntings, The Secret of the Third Floor Corridor, The Witch With No Name, Seeing Double, Secrets and Lies, and Unplottable._ She reached out and picked up the last one and began reading the author biography. It read:

_Hermione Granger, now Hermione Malfoy, is a recognized War Hero and acclaimed author of over eight books, six of which are her wildly popular mystery series and two academic works on Transfiguration and Ancient Runes, both of which were featured in The Wizarding World's New and Notable magazine. All of her books from her mystery series have made the Daily Prophet's bestseller list, with her latest title, Tower Hauntings, holding a record for longest best-selling novel at 12 weeks. Hermione lives with her husband, Draco Malfoy and their two daughters, Naomi and Evanna in Malfoy Manor, England._

Panic filled Hermione. What if this wasn't a dream? Everything seemed so real. What if she and Malfoy had just lost their memories somehow? But the odds of that were astronomical...

She was jolted from her panic induced reverie by the wizard at the register. "Are you ready to make your purchase, mam?" the wizard asked.

"Oh!" exclaimed Hermione, coming back to her senses. "Yes, I am," she answered, mustering up a smile for the wizard, who promptly dropped everything he was holding. "Mrs. Malfoy! I beg your pardon, I didn't realize it was you, if you would have notified me you were coming today I would have made sure the store was clear, I know how hectic it can be for you..." he trailed off, looking half fearful and half in awe of the witch before him. Hermione shook her head at this. She was completely astounded at the reactions she was getting today. Just what had happened in her life since her 5th year at Hogwarts?

"It's quite alright," Hermione assured him, "but if it is possible, I would like to purchase these books with credit towards my name. Can I do that?"

The wizard blinked for a moment, looking a bit stunned. "Uh, of course, Mrs. Malfoy. We know you're good for it." He smiled nervously.

"Good," said Hermione. "Please owl me the bill and I shall have the payment sent to you within the week." She assumed a bossy, no-nonsense tone. With the way this wizard was acting around her, she should have no problem getting her way. She wasn't disappointed. The wizard nodded profusely, totaled up the cost of the books, and sent Hermione and the girls on their way, thanking her generously for coming, and hoping to see her again soon.

"This is madness," muttered Hermione as they walked away. Naomi skipped along beside her, proudly swinging her Flourish and Blotts bag that carried her and Evanna's books. Evanna was starting to struggle in Hermione's arms. "Do you want down, dear?" Hermione asked, secretly hoping she would say yes. Her arms were beginning to get tired. Carrying a child around was nothing like lugging a heavy bag of books around.

"Hungry!" said Evanna, looking at Hermione expectantly. Naomi looked up at Hermione and her sister at this pronouncement, interest written across her face.

"How about we go get some ice cream?" Hermione said brightly. Both girls squealed in delight at this. "Ice cream it is, then," said Hermione with amusement. It was getting near noon, so Hermione hurried the girls along towards Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. If Harry and Ron had gotten her letters, they should be there soon!

The group made their way towards the famous ice cream shop, the little girls skipping with excitement, and Hermione full of nerves. She had no idea what her friends would say to her, especially since she was married to Malfoy. For a moment she wondered if either of them had woken up married and if they would be just as confused as she was. If they had married, it couldn't be worse than who she had ended up with. Hermione wrinkled her nose in distaste as she thought of the arrogant blond man with whom she now shared a last name.

"I want vanilla with sprinkles!" announced Naomi loudly as the colorful shop came into view.

"Vanna, do you want vanilla and sprinkles too?" asked Hermione, smiling at the wide eyed child. Evanna nodded. "Prinkles," she said.

Hermione nodded, "Yes, we'll get you sprinkles, dear." Both girls grinned in satisfaction and Hermione shook her head fondly at them. They were so adorable. A pang filled her chest, and Hermione was saddened to think she would lose them once this was all over. _Them and this baby inside me, _she thought, suddenly remembering the life she carried. She turned to the girls. "Now girls, you stick close to me while I order our ice cream, okay, and remember your manners. I don't want..."

All the words in Hermione's mind died as she caught sight of a familiar head of red hair. "Ron!" she cried and launched her herself and the girls through the crowd to throw her arms around him.


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **Hope everyone is having a good week. Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. Read and review! Another chapter is coming soon! Thanks again to everyone who put this story in their favorites, on their alert list, and left a review!

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Draco swore loudly for ten minutes after a fearful house elf told him Hermione had left with the girls. Infuriating woman! Who was she to think she could just up and leave in a situation like this? He needed to get out of here! He slammed the the book was was reading and flung it across the room, pacing angrily. He needed to talk to someone else who might understand this madness. _Professor Snape,_ he thought immediately, but just as quickly dismissed the thought. _I don't need his derision; I'll go to him as a last resort,_ he decided. But if not Professor Snape, then who? Draco paced some more. He needed to see someone who was in the accident with him. If he and Granger were aware of what was going on, shouldn't everyone else who was in the accident be too?

_I'll go talk to Pansy,_ he decided after a moment. At least Pansy would understand the horror of being married to Granger. If nothing else, she could at least make him feel better. As soon as he reached this decision, he ran to the main fireplace and grabbed some floo powder. Briefly he wondered if Pansy had found herself married in this messed up world too, and therefore might have a different last name, but he dismissed the thought and called out loudly, "Pansy Parkinson Residence!" The magic would know who he meant, he thought as the green flames enveloped him.

When he arrived, he stepped out of the fireplace into a large, open room painted a pristine white with black trimming on the walls and black leather furniture. He frowned. This was not the Parkinson house, he knew, so it must be Pansy's personal flat. He eyed the room carefully. Everything was either black or white, with the exception of some tasteful splashes of bright pink pillows or wall ornaments. It looked like a designer flat, meant to be looked at, not lived in.

"Hello?" he called out. "Pansy? Are you here?" Draco waved his wand to clean himself of any soot on his clothes and walked out into the room. He heard some clanging going on in a room off to the right, so he headed towards the sound. When he entered the room, his mouth dropped open in shock. He was in a large kitchen, again decorated in black and white, though this time the accent color was red. Pansy stood in the middle of the room at a large counter, flour smudged on her cheek, her jet black hair pulled up into a messy bun (yet artfully done), dressed in a light pink day robe. In her arms she held a large mixing bowl, and was currently whisking a white frothy mix. Pots and pans and bowls filled with other mixtures were spread out on the floury countertop in front of her and she was quietly humming to her herself.

"Pansy?" Draco said, his disbelief of the scene before him leaking into his voice. She jumped, startled, caught sight of Draco, and gave him a beaming smile. Draco was stunned. He wasn't sure he had ever seen Pansy smile so, so...contentedly?

"Draco!" she said, surprise in her voice. "I didn't hear you floo in. Is Hermione with you?" she asked, the smile still on her face. Draco's stomach plummeted. Obviously Pansy was affected by whatever madness was in this world too. The Pansy he knew would _never _ call Granger by her first name, and she certainly wouldn't have done it with such a happy face.

"No," Draco said. He couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. Pansy picked up on it immediately and set down her bowl.

"Draco, what's wrong? Nothing happened to Hermione and the baby, did it?" Draco flinched when she said 'baby'. Pansy noticed and looked at him closer. "Draco, you're a mess. Come in, sit down, and tell me what's happened. I was just making a bit of breakfast for Theo and I—he's coming over later, but we have time to talk."

Confusion covered Draco's face as he allowed Pansy to pull him into the kitchen and lead him to an ebony table with a checkered table cloth covering it (red and white, of course). "Theo?" he asked.

Pansy smiled her happy smile, and to Draco's amazement, a faint blush covered her cheeks. _She's really quite pretty like this, _Draco thought. Almost shyly, Pansy showed Draco her left hand, where a large, sparkling diamond ring sat on her finger. "Theo proposed last night."

Draco's mouth dropped open. He didn't know how much more of this world he could take. He looked into Pansy's joyous face, her eyes shining and watching him hopefully. He realized she wanted him to say something. "Oh, congratulations, Pansy!" he choked out, trying his darnedest to sound happy and excited, when in fact he was feeling confused and alarmed. Why didn't Pansy realize this wasn't real?

Pansy laughed and hugged him. "Thank you! We haven't set any dates yet, and you are the first person I've told," she gushed. "Oh Draco, I'm just so happy!" Draco gave her a pained smile. Pansy shook herself. "Oh, but that's not why we're here. Tell me what's wrong, Draco."

A slightly crazed look came into his eye. "What's wrong? What's wrong? _Everything's_ wrong, Pansy! I woke up this morning and everything is different. Granger's in my bed, suddenly I'm taking her to Saint Mungos to check on _our_ baby, and then she just up and leaves with my girls to go heaven knows where! And I don't know how to fix it!" His voice pitched up an octave.

"Oh dear," said Pansy, concern written across her face and worry in her voice. "Things must be bad, if you're calling her Granger again. When did you two fight?"

Draco looked at her in disbelief. "This morning, obviously. And then she left."

Alarm spread over Pansy's features. "But she's coming back, right? I mean, what could you have possibly fought about that badly?"

Draco waved a dismissive hand. "The girls, being married, our baby." He choked on the last part. _That_ bit of information still haunted him.

"But she'll come back, won't she?" asked Pansy again.

Draco looked at her, ready to say he didn't give a damn whether she came back or not. Then he remembered that he needed Granger to get him out of this mess. "I'm sure she will come back," he said slowly. "And probably with a cart load of books," he added. Didn't she say she was going to Diagon Alley?

Pansy visibly sighed. "Well that's good, at least. But you'll need to apologize, and maybe make some of that chocolate cake she loves so much," Pansy chattered on.

"What? Why do I have to be the one to apologize?" Draco sputtered. This visit with Pansy was most certainly not going well. She was supposed to be ridiculing Granger with him and say horrid things about her hair and clothes and everything else. Yet here she was, telling him to make her chocolate cake and apologize!

Pansy rolled her eyes and adopted a superior look. _There's the Pansy I know,_ Draco thought. "Men," she muttered. You _will_ apologize to her, Draco Malfoy, or you will never hear the end of it. You can be sure of that." She fixed him with a look.

Draco growled. "Fine." Suddenly he couldn't wait to get out of there. "Best not waste any time then," he said roughly and stood to leave. "Have a good breakfast with Theo, Pansy," Draco said, suddenly remembering what he had interrupted when he spotted the messy countertop. A thought struck him. "Why aren't you using magic to make this?" he asked.

Pansy smiled at him. "Somethings are best done by hand, Draco," she said, thoroughly unnerving him. _Is everyone in this world crazy?_ He needed to get back home.

"Thanks Pansy. I'll talk to you later," Draco said as he rushed to the fireplace. He moved so fast, the flames were already enveloping him before she could make a reply.

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><p>Hermione dropped her daughters' hands and threw her arms around the tall redhead. "Ron!" she cried out joyously. "Ron, I'm so glad to see you!"<p>

Ron stumbled under her sudden onslaught and chuckled a bit. "I can see that," he said.

Hermione blushed and released him. "Sorry, I guess I got a bit carried away," she said sheepishly. "But I really am glad to see you. You wouldn't believe the morning I've had."

Ron smiled, but Hermione noticed it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm glad to see you too, Hermione. It's been a while." Hermione frowned. She opened her mouth to ask what he meant when the sound of an annoyed huff reached her ears.

"Hello, Ronald," said Naomi in her bossiest voice. "Mother, what about our ice cream?"

Hermione stared down at her daughter, who was standing in a pose reminiscent of the one she often took when lecturing Ron and Harry about homework. Her mouth dropped open, and suddenly, the sound of Ron's ringing laughter filled the air. She turned to him in surprise. Naomi raised a single eyebrow—where had she learned to do that? Evanna put her hands over her mouth and giggled.

Ron laughed so hard tears ran down his cheeks. After a moment, when he finally composed himself, he said, "Oh, thank you Hermione. I'm really glad you arranged this meeting—whatever the reason. I haven't laughed like that in a long time." Hermione opened her mouth to question him again, but he held up his hand. "We better hold off any questions until we get your girls their ice cream. Come on, I'll buy it, my treat."

Naomi's angry demeanor changed instantly. "Can I get sprinkles, Ron? And chocolate sauce?" Ron smiled at her.

"Of course. You can get whatever you want," he said, earning him a beaming smile from both girls.

"Yay, Won!" said Evanna, giggling happily. Hermione followed Ron and the girls, an expression of bemusement and shock on her face. She shook her head to clear it away, and immediately it was replaced with a sinking feeling. Ron seemed to know about the girls, and obviously the girls knew him. That meant he was caught up in the dream world too. But why was that? It just didn't make sense that she and Draco were the only ones who realized what had happened.

She pushed aside her thoughts as the girls ordered their ice cream. "Do you want anything?" Ron asked her. Just as she was about to shake her head no, she changed her mind.

"A small bowl of chocolate ice cream would be wonderful, Ron," she said, smiling at him. As they sat down with their ice cream at a nearby table, she frowned when she noticed Ron had only gotten a simple bowl of vanilla ice cream with carmel drizzled on top and was eating it rather slowly. What on earth had happened to his insatiable hunger and appalling table manners? She never thought she would find herself missing it, but she suddenly missed the way Ron would stuff his face at every meal. What had happened to make him like this? Curiosity burned within her and she had a thousand questions on the tip of her tongue.

She stopped her mental tirade for moment to wipe some ice cream off Evanna's chin and took a bite of her own ice cream. Suddenly Ron broke the silence. "So, how are you? What made you call this little meeting?" He smiled a half smile at her, and she saw again that it didn't reach his eyes. The sadness within those familiar brown orbs tugged at her heart. What had caused it?

The questions distracted her for a moment. "Oh, I'm fine—I guess." She decided to play it safe until she figured out what Ron knew. It didn't appear as if he knew about the potions accident, so she didn't want to alarm him. "I had some fainting spells this morning, and Malfoy had to take me to Saint Mungos. I think I'm okay now, but I seem to keep forgetting things."

She stopped to look up at Ron and found him staring at her strangely. "Malfoy?" he said questioningly, and for a second Hermione's heart leaped—perhaps he did know about the accident after all—then fell again at his next words. "Are you two fighting?"

Confusion filled her. "Well, yeah," she said uncertainly. "But no more than usual, you know," she added.

"Hardly," said Ron in a tone Hermione couldn't quite place. "I don't think I've heard you call him Malfoy since Christmas two years ago, right before Evanna was born. He didn't want you to come to the annual party because you were so close to delivering, and you got mad." Ron smiled at the memory. "You went anyway of course. And Evanna didn't arrive until just after New Years."

Hermione gaped at him. Any hope that Ron could help them out of this mess was dashed after that announcement. Ron noticed her shock and shifted a little uncomfortably in his seat. "What is it Hermione?" he asked.

"I, I..." she stopped. "I don't remember," she whispered. Ron looked at her with concern. Hermione wished he wouldn't. Suddenly she whipped her head around, searching the Ice Cream Parlor a bit frantically. "Ron," she said worriedly, "Where's Harry?"

At once the sadness Hermione had seen in Ron's eyes intensified, and when he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "You don't remember?"

Dread clawed at Hermione's stomach. "What is it Ron? Tell me."

Ron looked stricken. "He, he...at the final battle...when he defeated Voldermort..." Hermione's head snapped up. How could she have forgotten about You-Know-Who? Her heart clenched painfully at Ron's words. Surely he wasn't saying...

"Harry sacrificed himself to defeat Voldermort, Hermione," Ron said gently. "We were there," he said softly. Anguish filled Hermione. _No, no, not Harry, I won't believe it, this can't be true,_ she whispered fiercely in her mind. Tears started to pool in her eyes.

"It can't be true," whispered Hermione. She looked into Ron's eyes, searching for any hint of falseness, but found only sincere sadness and compassion. Naomi, who had remained silent while eating her ice cream, noticed the whispering and the tears in her mother's eyes. She reached over and patted Hermione's hand.

"It will be okay, Mum," she said with utmost certainty.

Hermione choked a bit at her daughter's firm words and took a deep breath. "You're right dear," she said, sounding calmer than she felt. "Finish up your ice cream, we're going to be leaving soon."

She took a few more deep breaths, then looked at Ron, who was watching her with concern. "I apologize, Ron," she said softly. "My fainting spells have obviously affected me more than I realize."

"It's alright," Ron said, his voice coming out bit strained.

Hermione looked at him. "No, it's not alright. Ron. What did you mean when you said you hadn't laughed in a long time? And why did you ask me why I wanted to meet with you? Don't we see each other often?"

Ron's eyebrows came to together. He took a deep breath. "I haven't really been happy since the War ended. We may have won, but we lost Harry and Dad. Bill was injured and Mum hasn't been the same without Dad. She's just wasting away. You and me, we tried to stick together, but without Harry, we just fell apart. And by then you and Draco had gotten together..." Hermione's hand flew to her mouth to stop a strangled gasp. Desperately she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill any moment. She bit her lip.

Ron continued. "Right after the victory, I lashed out at you and Draco. I'm not good with grief, I never have been. At the time it seemed like you were trying to replace Harry with Draco, and I couldn't take it. We eventually got over it, but our friendship hasn't been the same since. We still see each other at holidays and stuff, but nothing like this."

Hermione choked on a sob. Ron looked pained. "I'm sorry to put all this on you. I hadn't realized, I hadn't expected you to forget..."

"I don't want to forget, Ron!" Hermione burst out. Naomi and Evanna jumped and looked at their mum concernedly. Hermione noticed and tried to calm down. "I mean, I didn't choose to forget. It scares me to death that I have."

Ron looked uncomfortable. "Maybe I should take you and the girls home," he said uneasily.

Unable to speak, Hermione just nodded. Ron stood up. "Are you all finished girls?" he asked with fake cheerfulness. "Your mum doesn't feel good, so I'm going to take you home. Then you can show your dad the new books you've bought!"

The girls smiled and handed over their empty bowls to Ron. They allowed him to wipe their faces and pick up Evanna. Then Naomi firmly took ahold of Hermione's hand and pulled her out of the shop, walking next to Ron. Hermione tried to keep herself together. She sniffed and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She was in such a state she never even noticed the camera flashes as she walked by. Ron didn't seem to either.

"We can use Fred and George's fireplace," Ron said, leading them through the busy street. Hermione gave him a confused look. "They have a joke shop here in Diagon Alley now. Harry gave them his winnings from the Triwizard Tournament to get started," he explained.

_So that's what they've been up too, _thought Hermione, as she remembered her and Ron's suspicions about what the twins had been doing all year, and where they had gotten the money. The thought that they had opened a joke shop cheered her somehow. _I could use a good laugh about now,_ she thought feebly.

They entered the colorful, noisy shop and Hermione had to keep a firm grip on Naomi to stop her from running and looking at everything. "Can't we look, Mummy?" pleaded Naomi. Evanna pointed excitedly and squirmed in Ron's arms. Ron looked at Hermione apologetically.

"Maybe Fred and George's place wasn't such a good idea," he said.

Hermione and shook her head. It struck her then, that she had always pictured herself ending up with Ron—having a few kids and being married to her best friend. She wondered how that had changed in this world. Everyone seemed to think that she and Draco were perfect for each other. She snorted. Naomi pulled insistently on her arm. "Not today, sweetheart," said Hermione. The little girl pouted. "We'll come again soon," promised Hermione.

Naomi nodded. "And we'll bring Daddy?" she asked. Hermione hesitated. She'd never get Malfoy to set foot inside a Weasley shop. But then, she and Malfoy would most likely get out of this mess before having to to follow through with this promise anyway. "Of course, dear."

"Pinky promise," said Naomi primly, holding out her tiny hand. Hermione was suddenly struck by the oddity of a Malfoy (even if she was her own daughter) asking for a pinky promise, a Muggle practice.

"Pinky promise," agreed Hermione solemnly, and she hooked her pinky with Naomi's tiny one.

"Well, if it isn't Mrs. Malfoy," called a voice.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes," said another. Hermione turned and found herself face to face with Ron's twin brothers.

"Hermione," she corrected. "Hello George," she said to the first voice. "Hello, Fred," she said to the second.

"How is it you can always tell us apart?" asked Fred.

Hermione laughed weakly. "It's my secret," she said.

Ron, noticing her discomfort, butted in. "Hermione just needs to use your fireplace, guys," he said.

George put a hand over his heart. "You wound us, Hermione."

Ron pushed them off. "She's not feeling well. She'll come back and visit soon, she's made a Pinky Promise to Naomi."

Both twins nodded solemnly. "We'll see you soon then, Hermione!" She nodded tiredly to them and allowed Ron to lead her and the girls to the fireplace in the back. Carefully he handed Evanna back to Hermione.

"I won't go with you, but if you need anything, just send me an owl. I'll come," Ron said, squeezing her arm.

Hermione nodded, then suddenly set Evanna on the ground and threw her arms around Ron again. She hugged him tight. "I love you Ron, you know that, right?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah. I love you too, Hermione. Remember, if you need me..."

Hermione nodded and gathered both girls and their shopping bags into her arms. "Naomi, will you do the floo powder for Mummy?"

"Yes!" cried Naomi happily. She grabbed a handful of powder, threw it down and shouted, "Malfoy Manor!"

The tears in Hermione's eyes blurred Ron's face as they disappeared from the grate in a flash of green flame.

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><p><strong>Author Note: <strong>Lady Firewing: That wasn't too awkward, was it? Even though I'm pairing Hermione with Draco in this story, I still like Ron, and I don't think he would abandon her completely if she married Draco. In the next chapter we'll see a lot more Draco and Hermione interaction, and they'll really start trying to figure out how to get out of this mess...oh and I think Narcissa Malfoy will be making an appearance soon...


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **Hi guys, sorry for the slight delay in getting this chapter posted. It's been a busy week, and the weather's been great, so I've been spending time outside! Did anyone go see The Avengers this weekend? I did and it was AWESOME! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to everyone who has been reading so far. If you get a chance, leave me a review! I love to hear from you!

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

As soon as Draco heard the telltale whoosh of the fireplace, he ran to the front room. He had only just made it through the door when his ears were assaulted with the shrill cries of "Daddy!" Moments later two little girls were attacking his legs.

"Daddy! Daddy! Mummy bought us books today! And Ron bought us ice cream! Will you read with me? I can read most of it, Daddy, I only need help with a few words. Mummy bought books too, and we got to go to the joke shop. Mummy wouldn't let us stay though," Naomi paused to take a breath after her rapid speech. She looked at Hermione with a pronounced pout and back up at Draco, who was completely caught off guard. As far as he could remember, no one had ever greeted him with such unbridled enthusiasm nor with such a sincere happiness upon seeing him. It baffled him.

Evanna tugged on his leg and demanded, "Up!" Draco obliged and swooped her up, throwing a confused glance at Hermione in the meantime. He had meant to lecture Granger thoroughly when she got back, but he was once again foiled by these two little girls, the Granger Miniatures, as he had come to think of them. _The Granger Miniatures with your hair and eyes,_ his brain traitorously reminded him.

He looked over at Hermione and was shocked to see her barely holding back tears. What on earth had happened to her? Wait, didn't Naomi say something about Ron? Did that blood-traitor Weasel have something to do with this? He snorted. The Weasel wasn't known for his tact. Leave it to him to bungle things up..._wait, why do I even care? What matter is it to me if Granger is in tears?_

An annoyed huff reminded him of Naomi's presence at his feet and of Evanna's position in his arms. She had laid her head down on his shoulder and her eyelids were drooping. Draco could feel her soft breath against his neck. He didn't know how to feel about that.

"Read with me, Daddy!" cried Naomi impatiently.

Draco felt a wave of irritation. _Just like her mother, _he thought. "Not now, sweetheart," he found himself saying. "How about tonight, before you go to bed? Daddy wants to talk with Mummy right now."

Draco was so absorbed in speaking with Naomi that he missed the look of shock that crossed Hermione's tear-stained face. To be honest it wouldn't have surprised him. He felt faintly shocked by his own words as well. _Where had that come from?_

Naomi seemed to find this acceptable, for she immediately grinned ear to ear and captured Draco's legs in a fierce hug. Draco was surprised at the feeling of pleasure and satisfaction this gave him. He cleared his throat and looked calmly down at her. "Now, how about you show Rilla your new books?" Naomi instantly perked up.

"Okay!" she said joyfully and grabbed her books before running pell-mell down the hallway. Draco briefly wondered if he had ever been that energetic and happy as a child. A small moan at his shoulder reminded him of his other little girl and he noticed she had fallen asleep in his arms.

Hermione had noticed this as well, because she suddenly said, "I'll take her to her room." She held out her arms for the child. Draco shook his head, suddenly reluctant to let the girl go.

"No, it's fine. I'll carry her. Just show me her room."

Hermione stared at him oddly before nodding silently and making her way towards the door. _What? _Draco thought petulantly. _Am I not allowed to hold her too?_ They ascended the stairs and walked down a long hallway. Draco recognized it as the way to his old nursery. He shook his head to get rid of the feelings it dredged up. Draco Malfoy feeling nostalgic? Preposterous.

Draco followed Hermione to a small room painted a lovely powder blue. The room was decorated in bluebirds and clouds. A sky much like the one in the Great Hall at Hogwarts was overhead, filled with giant, fluffy white clouds. Hermione must have seen him staring, because she whispered, "Vanna loves flying things. And blue is her favorite color."

Draco's mouth dropped open in wonder. Then a smirk came to his lips. "I'll make a quidditch player out of her yet," he said.

Hermione merely raised an eyebrow at this statement. Perhaps she was beyond shock now. Draco however was freaking out internally. What on earth had made him say that, like he wanted to stay and raise these girls? _Get a grip, Draco,_ he scolded himself. Without another word, he gently set Evanna down in the soft bed and brushed a stray blonde curl out of her face. Hermione stood stiffly beside him. Once Draco had pulled back, she took out her wand and waved it over the crib.

"What's that for?" Draco asked.

"It will alert us when she wakes," Hermione answered quietly. After one last look at Evanna, she threw herself from the room. Draco wasted not a second in going after her. She barreled down the hallway as if she couldn't get away from Draco fast enough. _I don't think so, Granger,_ he thought to himself and ran to catch up.

"Granger," he called. She sped up. Draco frowned and hurried after her. "Oi!"

She didn't stop and didn't answer. Growling in frustration, he reached out and grabbed Hermione's wrist. "Granger!" he yelled, pulling her to a stop and yanking her to him. She squirmed and tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he pushed her against the wall to hold her in place. She looked at him with wild, frightened eyes.

Draco frowned and rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you, Granger. But you _will_ talk to me." She squirmed harder and tried to wrench herself out of his grasp to no avail. Draco pushed her further against the wall, pinning her with his own body. "Where did you go today?"

Hermione glared at him, hate obvious in her eyes. "I told you this morning," she spat.

"Diagon Alley?" Draco asked.

"Yes."

"What did you do?" Draco pressed her.

Hermione remained silent, so Draco gave her a warning glare. "Took the girls window shopping and bought some books. Then we went for ice cream."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "With what money?"

Guilt flashed over Hermione's features before her face hardened. "I put it on a Malfoy tab," she said defiantly.

"That isn't your money to spend!" Draco said angrily.

"Actually it is!" snapped Hermione hotly. "I _am_ a Malfoy now. So says this ring on my finger!" She wrenched her hand up to wave it in Draco's face. He sneered at it, but had no answer. _Damn her, she's right._

Instead he tried a new tactic. "I suppose you went to see those pathetic friends of yours? Potty and Weasel? What did they have to say about your _situation_?" He was sneering down at her, but at the word _friends_, Hermione froze in his grip and paled to ghostly white.

"Well?" asked Draco, shaking her. What on earth was wrong with her now? "How are the Wonder Duo?"

Draco was at a loss when Hermione's eyes suddenly filled with tears and she let out a heart-wrenching sob. She shuddered in his grip and he immediately let go. She threw her hands over her face and sank to the floor at his feet. Draco looked around nervously. It wasn't that bringing Granger to tears made him uncomfortable, but usually he knew why she burst into tears. Not sure what to do and unsure why he wanted to make her stop, he awkwardly patted her shoulder.

* * *

><p>Hermione started when she felt Malfoy's hand on her shoulder. Her head whipped up and she stared into his grey eyes. She could tell he was uncomfortable, but the tears wouldn't stop. <em>Oh Harry, <em>Hermione thought desperately. _This can't be happening._

"What is it, Granger?" Draco asked a little gruffly, though not unkindly.

Hermione didn't answer right away. She took deep, shuddering breaths, trying to calm herself down. Finally, she looked up. "Di-did you know that V-Vol-Voldemort has been defeated?"

Malfoy jerked violently. "Don't say his name!" he hissed. Then shock registered on his face. "Defeated?" he whispered. Hermione nodded, tears still streaming down her face. "But why?" He left the question open ended, but Hermione understood what he meant.

"H-H-Harry, he, he s-s-sacrificed himself to defeat Him," she whispered.

Malfoy's mouth dropped open. "Potter's dead?" he asked incredulously.

Hermione's face twisted in to one of anguish at his words and she broke down in to wracking sobs again. She knew she must look like a complete wreck and that Malfoy was no doubt sneering down at her. She braced herself for the taunts that were sure to follow such a ridiculous display, but nothing came.

Earlier, when Hermione had arrived back at the Manor, it took all her willpower not to break down. Malfoy had burst in on them right away and from the look on his face she thought he would start yelling and thoroughly unbraid her. But to her complete surprise, he let the girls tell him about their day and even picked up Evanna. Hermione could barely contain her surprise when Evanna fell asleep in his arms and when he offered to take her to her room, Hermione was sure he had been replaced with someone else. But then in the hallway the real Malfoy returned. He had grabbed her roughly and pinned her against the wall for some sort of interrogation. Hermione choked on a sob. All she wanted to do was to curl up and cry.

"Well, are you going to just sit there and cry, or are you going to fix this?"

The sound of Malfoy's voice broke through Hermione's despair and she stopped crying for a moment. _Fix this? How? Harry's gone..._ She stared blankly up at Malfoy, the tears still rolling down her cheeks.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. Hermione felt a flicker of outrage. How dare he roll his eyes and disregard everything that's happened! "Just because you never liked Harry," she began defensively, but Malfoy waved her off.

"How I feel about Potter's got nothing to do with it, Granger. _This place isn't real._ I don't know what happened in that potions classroom, but all of this is the result of that idiot Longbottom's mess."

Hermione sniffed indignantly. "Neville is not an idiot, Malfoy!" she said hotly, wiping her tears furiously from her cheeks. _Insufferable ferret!_ She glared at Malfoy, who smirked down at her.

"Come off it, Granger. Of course Longbottom's an idiot. If he wasn't, he wouldn't keep blowing up things like some pathetic first year." Hermione opened her mouth to retort but Malfoy ignored her and kept talking. "But that's not the point. The point is, unless you want to be stuck in this world married to me and separated from your friends forever, you've got to quit moping about and help me figure this out!"

Hermione was silent for a moment. As much as she hated to admit it, Malfoy was right. She shook herself. _I let myself believe it was real. I accepted that Harry..._She couldn't finish that thought. Looking up at Malfoy, who was scowling at her, she rolled her eyes, took a deep breath, and pushed herself up from the floor. With her sternest look in place, she met Malfoy's eyes. They narrowed, probably waiting for one of Hermione's famous outbursts.

Hermione took another deep breath. _Use that Gryffindor courage now, Hermione, _she mentally told herself. "Now listen carefully, Malfoy, because I'm never going to say this again. I may be stubborn, but I'm not a fool. You're right."

Malfoy's jaw dropped to the floor. Hermione tried to ignore his immediate shock and the smug smirk that followed. "I let myself get caught up in life here and I lost focus. This is not, _cannot_ be real and I will do everything I can to get us out of this mess."

"I knew you would admit my genius someday, Granger," Malfoy said smugly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"It was a once in a lifetime thing, Malfoy, don't get used to it," Hermione said loftily. She pushed past him and started walking down the hallway. Malfoy hurried to catch up.

"Don't be so sure, Granger. You might just be wrong _again,_" he laughed.

Hermione whirled around to face him, causing him to stumble to avoid slamming into her. "Right or not, Malfoy, we're still stuck in this world, and we have to go along with it, which includes pretending to be married and caring for our children." Both Hermione and Malfoy's eyes dropped to Hermione's stomach. "We'd better find a solution soon, Malfoy, because I have no intention of staying to give birth. Do you have any idea how painful that is?" She rubbed her stomach.

Malfoy grimaced. "Well I have no intention of dealing with another squalling brat either. I don't care if it's mine or not."

Hermione snorted. "So shall we proceed to the library?" she asked sarcastically.

"Indeed, Mrs. Malfoy," Malfoy said, holding out his arm mockingly. Hermione raised an eyebrow, but took his outstretched arm. Then they proceeded to walk down the hall towards the library.

As they reached the stairs, Hermione suddenly said, "Oh, and Malfoy?"

"Yes?" he drawled.

"_Never_ call me Mrs. Malfoy again."

He turned and smirked at her. "Gladly, _Mrs. Malfoy._"

Hermione's face darkened and she stomped on his foot before descending the stairs. _Prat,_ she thought.


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **Hello again my readers! I hope everyone had a good Mother's Day weekend. Sorry again for the slight delay in updating. Hope this chapter is worth it. Read and enjoy!

**Update: 5/15/2012:** At Lady Firewing's suggestion, I have added one of the articles flaming poor Hermione. Hope you like it!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

Hermione woke at the gentle shaking of her shoulder. She moaned and blinked her eyes. The smell of old parchment immediately assailed her nostrils. _Did I fall asleep in the library again?_ She picked up her head and realized she had fallen asleep at large wooden table, using the thick book before her as a pillow. "I'm sorry Madame Pince," she mumbled, yawning widely and stretching her arms over her head.

"Mistress Hermione is talking sleep-talk," said a high pitched voice coming from Hermione's side. She stiffened and looked down. A house elf in a little yellow dress looked up at her with concern. Hermione's eyes widened comically and she tore her gaze across the room.

She was in a large, elegant library that was most certainly _not_ the Hogwarts library. She glanced down at the books she had been reading, all of them about potions. Her stomach plummeted. A sudden snort caused her to jump and she whirled about, her wand out and a curse on her lips. What she saw caused her to give a snort of her own and she threw a hand up to cover her giggle. Draco Malfoy was sprawled out rather inelegantly on a black leather couch behind her, his mouth slightly open and a large dark book laying open on his chest. It was one of the most unflattering positions Hermione had ever seen him in, and for a moment she wished Colin Creevy was there with his camera.

"Is Mistress Hermione alright?" asked the little house elf a bit fearfully. Hermione snapped to attention and smiled down at the elf who was now rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Yes Sunny, I'm fine. I just fell asleep in the library, that's all. Are the children alright?" Hermione asked quietly, trying not to wake Malfoy. She had a feeling he wasn't very pleasant in the mornings. _Except for yesterday morning,_ her brain wickedly reminded her. Hermione blushed. _Let's not think about that,_ she scolded herself.

Sunny nodded profusely and fidgeted with her fingers. "Oh yes, Mistress. Madame Rilla is taking care of the girls because Mistress was still sleeping."

Hermione felt a twinge of guilt. "Does she need my help? Is that why you're here?" She frowned, watching Sunny's nervous habits. _I'm not mean to the elves, am I? Everything was fine when I __was in the kitchen yesterday._

Sunny glanced back at the door. "No Mistress, it isn't that."

Hermione frowned. "When what is it, dear?"

"Master Draco's mother is here, Mistress," Sunny said. "And she is not being very happy."

Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock and alarm. _Mrs. Malfoy is here?_ Quickly she tried to collect herself. "Thank you Sunny. Will you tell Mrs. Malfoy that Mal-Master Draco and I will be down shortly?"

Sunny nodded and disappeared with a _crack._ As soon as she was gone, Hermione whirled about and shouted, "Draco!"

Malfoy jumped and fell off the couch cursing. "Dammit Granger! What did you do that for?" He blinked against the midmorning sun and tried to throw a menacing glare at Hermione, but it was ruined by his graceless fall from the couch and his hair sticking out wildly in different directions. In normal circumstances, Hermione would have teased him about it, especially his hair, but her nerves were too much at the moment. She ignored Malfoy's irritation and threw him an agitated look.

"Your _mother_ is here!" she hissed and watched his eyebrows lift in surprise. Then he shrugged and stood up.

"We best not keep her waiting then," he said walking towards the door.

"What? Wait!" cried Hermione, reaching out and grabbing Malfoy's arm. He stumbled backwards and fell into her. He automatically put his arms around her to steady them. Hermione's heart skipped a beat before she roughly pushed him away. _Calm down, Hermione, deep breaths,_ she chanted in her head. Malfoy stared at her.

"What?" he asked and it was all Hermione could do not to smack him upside the head.

"What do you mean, _what?_" she growled. "Your _mother_ is down there! What are we going to tell her?"

Malfoy stared at her blankly for a moment and Hermione rolled her eyes. "Did you forget that everyone in this world thinks we're married? But your mother will see right through us!"

Malfoy was still staring at her her. _What is wrong with him? _Hermione glared at him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well?" she demanded.

To her surprise and horror, a smile slowly spread across Malfoy's face. "Don't worry about it Granger. I can handle my mother." He frowned for a moment then smiled again, completely unnerving Hermione. "But there is one thing," he said.

_Oh no, _thought Hermione, looking at Malfoy warily.

"It's Draco," he said. Hermione shot him a confused look. "Call me Draco, _Hermione,_" he said, emphasizing her name. "We can't be married and call each other by our last names."

Hermione sputtered. "No! I won't do it." She glared pointedly at him. To her annoyance, he merely looked amused.

"You didn't seem to have a problem with it just a moment ago, _darling,_" he said, clearly enjoying Hermione's discomfort.

Hermione's mouth dropped open and she hastily snapped it shut. She furiously tried to ignore the fluttering in her stomach from the word "darling". _This is ferret-boy Malfoy we're talking about, Hermione, get a grip on yourself! _"I don't know what you mean," she said haughtily.

Draco laughed. Hermione was affronted. "Come on now, _Hermione._ Say it. We can't keep my mother waiting."

Worry briefly flickered over Hermione's face before she replaced it with a if-looks-could-kill glare. "Fine," she huffed. "_Draco,_" she said with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

Malfoy had the gall to continue looking amused. "Good. Now say it again without the sarcasm. Put a little _love_ into it, _dearest._"

At this point Hermione was silently think of all the ways she could murder him and get away with it. She shot him a dazzling smile and said with sickening sweetness, "Of course, _dear Draco._"

Malfoy nodded. "Now let's go, _wife_, before my mother comes to find us."

Hermione blanched. _Right. I can do this, just summon up some of that Gryffindor courage,_ she thought to herself. Reluctantly she took Malfoy—no, _Draco's_ arm and allowed him to lead her from the room. As they walked down the stairs in silence, Hermione's mind buzzing with a million and one things that could go wrong, she noticed that Draco keep glancing over at her and suppressing a smile. She frowned. _What was he thinking?_

Just before they reached the sitting room where Mrs. Malfoy was waiting, they passed in front of a large hall mirror. Hermione glanced over at it and froze, causing Draco to trip a bit. She took in her rumpled appearance and stood there gaping like a fish for several moments. Then she turned on Draco, who appeared to be holding back laughter.

"You!" she hissed fiercely, pointing a finger at him. "You _knew_ I looked like this and still you were going to let me meet your mother like this?" She wrenched her arm out of his and desperately started combing her hand through her hair and straightening her blouse.

Draco put a hand over his mouth. "You look charming, darling," he drawled, looking her up and down. A blush crept onto her cheeks at this and then she smacked him on the arm.

"Shut up! I am not going in there like this, so help me Draco Malfoy..."

Hermione's rant was unceremoniously cut off by the appearance of Sunny the house elf, who smiled at her Master and Mistress before opening the door to the sitting room for them. "Everything is ready for you, Master and Mistress! I'll bring in some tea when you call!" she said.

Draco took Hermione's arm up again before she could so much as sputter and said, "Come along, darling."

Hermione glared at him, once again plotting his demise as Draco lead her into the luxurious sitting room where his mother sat waiting for them.

* * *

><p>Draco struggled to hide his amusement from Granger, ah—<em>Hermione. <em>He was surprised to say the least when she had awoken him with his first name, and even more surprised when she told him his mother was waiting for them downstairs. At once he recognized an opportunity for some fun. He would make Hermione squirm, and having her call him by his first name was only the icing on the cake. He frowned for a short moment. It wasn't like he _enjoyed_ hearing his name come from her mouth. Certainly not. _It's just fun seeing her so angry,_ he thought to himself.

Satisfied with having cleared up any confusion on that note, Draco lead Hermione into the sitting room. He sneaked a glance at her again and couldn't hide his grin. The two of them had spent the night in the Malfoy library, hunting for a solution to their problem. He and Hermione were still wearing yesterday's clothes, which were very rumpled from being slept in and their hair was sleep-tossed. He knew his hair was sticking out at odd angles, but it was nothing compared to Hermione's wild mane. Her bushy curls were everywhere.

In addition to being rumpled from sleep, both Hermione and Draco's clothes showed signs of having been loosened or unbuttoned during the course of the night. Half of Draco's shirt buttons were undone and the shirt was untucked from his trousers. Hermione had shed her jumper and was only wearing her sleeveless blouse and a pair of gray sleep pants, which she had changed into after putting Naomi to bed. Both were barefoot.

As soon as they were inside, Draco whisked them over to his mother without delay. "Good morning, Mother," he drawled lazily, enjoying her arched eyebrow at the sight of the pair of them.

"Good morning, Draco, Hermione. How very—charming you both look today." Narcissa proceeded to eye both of them up and down. Draco grinned as Hermione turned beet red under his mother's strict gaze.

"G-Good morning, Mm-Narcissa," stammered Hermione, trying to muster a smile. Draco noticed she had almost called her Mrs. Malfoy. _That would have been odd,_ thought Draco cheerfully. _Wait, this whole situation is odd. Here I am, pretending to be married to Granger of all people, and blatantly making it appear as though she and I..._ Draco shook his head to clear his mind of such nefarious thoughts. _To my own mother!_ Gods, this situation was nuts.

Narcissa was studying the pair of them carefully and gave Draco a stern look. He blushed, suddenly a bit sheepish. "If you two were having a bit of a lie in, I could have waited," she said.

Hermione choked and immediately said, "Oh no, Narcissa, it's just we, well, we fell asleep in the library last night and..."

Narcissa gave her a knowingly look and held up her hand. Draco grinned at Hermione's horrified look as his mother stopped Hermione in mid-sentence. "Actually," she began. "I'm rather relieved to find you two like this."

Draco and Hermione simultaneously made choking sounds. _What?_ Draco thought, completely taken aback.

Narcissa appeared not to notice this and moved to retrieve something from her purse. "Yes, you see there is a bit of an alarming article in _The Daily Prophet_ and _Witch Weekly_ today." She held out a copy of each for Draco and Hermione to see.

Mystified, Draco looked at the two papers his mother was holding out to them. When he read the headlines, his eyebrows shot up to his hairline. Beside him, Hermione made an indignant sound and exclaimed, "Oh, of all the ridiculous—who wrote this?"

Draco was surprised by her outburst. Why would she care? The article in _The Daily Prophet _had a headline that read, _A MALFOY AFFAIR?_ It was accompanied by a large picture of Hermione in Diagon Alley with her arms around Ron and Naomi scowling at the pair of them. _Witch Weekly's_ headline was similar: _TROUBLE IN MALFOY PARADISE? _This article was also accompanied by a large photo, this time of Hermione leaning on Ron's shoulder while he held Evanna. Naomi tearfully held her mother's hand.

Draco looked up at his mother and found her watching Hermione carefully. He followed her gaze and was surprised to see the anger in Hermione's face. She glanced up and saw Draco and Narcissa staring at her and immediately her face cleared. She looked to Narcissa. "Forgive me Narcissa, my manners seem to have taken a moment's leave. Shall we sit down? I will call for some tea. Sunny!"

The little elf in the yellow dress appeared right away carrying a silver tea tray. Hermione smiled kindly at the elf and gestured for her to set the tray on the table. Meanwhile, Hermione and Narcissa sat down. "Thank you, that will be all for now Sunny," Hermione said and went about pouring some tea for herself and Narcissa. Draco watched the whole thing with an open mouth. When had Hermione made the transition from stuttering Gryffindor know-it-all to lady hostess? There she was, sitting in her rumpled bed clothes, serving tea to his mother like she was the bloody queen of England!

To his further shock, Hermione suddenly turned towards him, smiled and said "Close your mouth, Draco dear, unless you're trying to catch flies." He snapped his mouth shut and glared at her. His mother chuckled.

"Sit down Draco," his mother admonished him. Sullenly he plopped himself down on the chair in front of him. Hermione and his mother exchanged looks and laughed quietly. Draco glared at the pair of them. This was not how things were supposed to go. _What's going on here?_

"Now about these atrocious rumors," his mother started and Hermione immediately jumped in.

"Obviously they have nothing better to write about, since they've resorted to publishing this trash."

Draco raised an eyebrow at her vehemence.

"It just reminds of me of the rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote in fourth year, during the Triwizard Tournament," she said to Draco. _Well, that makes sense,_ Draco thought. He smirked as he remembered the article claiming she and Potter were an item and how Professor Snape had read the _Witch Weekly_ article out loud. It had been quite amusing. He snorted while Hermione buried her nose in the article.

"And you're sure there isn't any merit to either rumor?" asked Narcissa, looking Draco in the eye.

"Of course not, Mother," Draco said breezily. _They can't be true if we're not a couple in the first place,_ he finished mentally.

He and his mother were interrupted by another outburst from Hermione. "That sneaky, thrice-damned vacuous piece of rubbish! I'll disenchant it today! Right after I smash it into a million and one pieces!"

"Hermione?" asked Draco, eyeing her furious face. "What is it?"

Hermione clenched her teeth. _Damn, Granger, what's got you in a fix now?_ Draco leaned forward for her answer and Narcissa was watching her shrewdly.

"This article! It has a direct quote from me! Out of context!" Hermione said angrily.

Confusion filled Draco. "From when? Diagon Alley? Because that would be your own fault Hermione, you should know better than to talk to reporters." _Especially when we're stuck in a world we don't belong in!_

"Don't be an idiot, Draco Malfoy," said Hermione dangerously. "Of course I didn't talk to any reporters. This quote was taken from a conversation with my mirror, _in my bedroom._"

Draco's face darkened. "Someone was in our house?"_ Wait, did I just say OUR? It's my house. __MY house. _Hermione rolled her eyes and made an exasperated sound.

"It was an enchanted mirror that recorded her conversation, dear," Narcissa said to her son.

"Yes, listen to this rubbish!" snarled Hermione and she began to read the _Witch Weekly_ article.

_ When young Draco Malfoy, heir to the distinguished Malfoy name announced his upcoming marriage to one Hermione Granger, muggleborn and top of her class, the Wizarding World was shocked to say the least. Yet when it was revealed the lengths the couple had gone and were willing to go for the side of the Light during the War, any fears that theirs would be a loveless marriage were seemingly put to rest. "I've never seen a couple more in love," gushes Lavander Brown, a close confidant of Mrs. Hermione Malfoy. For four years the couple has flourished in a beautiful marriage which has produced two little girls, Naomi and Evanna Malfoy, the darlings of the Wizarding World. But is all as it seems in Malfoy Paradise?_

_ A source who wishes to remain anonymous reveals the "happy couple" have been suffering problems for some time now. When talking with Mrs. Hermione Malfoy about the honor of being a Malfoy, Hermione said, "I won't be for long. As soon as I can figure out a way out of this mess, I am out of here!" Later that very day Hermione was spotted with old flame and War Hero Ronald Weasley. His familiarity with the little girls suggest this wasn't their first meeting. A witness to this meeting, Florence Weatherby, an upstanding witch and subscriber to Witch Weekly said, "Her behavior was downright shameful. Hard to believe this was actually the respected woman we've come to admire."_

_ Hermione Malfoy, formerly Hermione Granger, is not only a well known War Hero, but also the wildly popular author of six best-selling mystery books. Is this latest escapade a ploy to gain more publicity for her books? Or even worse, a search for her next plot line? Friends and admirers of the young Mrs. Malfoy may want to ask her to reconsider her actions before she breaks poor Draco Malfoy's heart._

"I should have hexed it that morning!" said Hermione hysterically. "I remember, it even said, _wait until the girls hear about this!"_ Hermione mimicked the mirror's voice in a high pitched tone. She covered her face with her hands.

Draco was at a complete loss as to why Hermione was reacting so strongly. _Why should she care if our non-existent relationship is being questioned by the media?_

"Calm down Hermione, it's not good for the baby," his mother said soothingly as she patted Hermione's back. Understanding dawned on Draco. _The pregnancy is making her emotional. That's supposed to happen to women when they're pregnant, right? _

Hermione fanned herself. "You're right. Thank you Narcissa, I don't know what came over me. Really, I've haven't read such rubbish since Rita Skeeter was writing."

"It's quite alright dear. And never you mind about these rumors, they're quite easy to crush. You and Draco will simply have to go out tonight and have a very public date."

Draco choked on his tea. _Go on a date with Granger?_ His mind couldn't quite process it. He sneaked a glance at Hermione and saw the shock and apprehension on her face. _She doesn't know how to take it either,_ thought Draco.

Narcissa was still talking. "In fact, I think you two should make a day of it. Get out and go somewhere together, and then come to the Ministry banquet tonight. I'd like to spend some time with my granddaughters anyway."

Draco blinked. "What? What Ministry banquet?"

"The one in honor of the War Heroes," Hermione said softly. "There's a new memorial being put up at the Ministry. One with all the names of the fallen, including muggles and magical creatures that were lost during all the years of Voldemort's terror."

Draco flinched at the Dark Lord's name. "Oh," he said. He couldn't think of anything else to say. Hermione leaned over and squeezed his hand. He jumped in surprise.

"Come on Hermione, I'll help you get ready and choose an outfit for the banquet, since your mirror will no longer be of service to you." Narcissa stood up and held a hand out for Hermione. Draco shook himself, not quite believing what was happening. His mother, the pureblood queen, was offering to help a muggleborn with her wardrobe. _But not just any muggleborn,_ thought Draco. _My wife._

"Go get cleaned up and ready, Draco. We haven't got all day," ordered his mother. Draco nodded and Narcissa smiled primly as she lead Hermione out of the sitting room. Draco stood for a moment longer, still trying to process what had just happened. _This is madness,_ he thought, running a hand through his tousled hair. Then he walked slowly out of the room and up the stairs to his bedroom to get ready. To get ready for a date. For a date with Hermione bloody Granger. _Merlin help me._


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **Hello again! I just want to take a moment and thank everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited and alerted this story. I am completely blown away by all the support! You guys are wonderful, and I hope I can continue to write chapters everyone will love! Also, in case anyone missed it, I did add one of the articles that claimed Hermione was having a scandalous affair in the last chapter (chapter 10) shortly after I first posted it. Thank you for that suggestion, Lady Firewing! Also, there is a slight Pride and Prejudice reference in this chapter. See if you can spot it!

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

"I knew the rumors had to be false, of course dear, but naturally I wanted to see for myself. Pansy did tell me you two had a fight yesterday, so you can see why I was a bit worried," Narcissa said as she and Hermione walked up the stairs. Hermione was shocked. _Is this really happening? Am I really having an amicable conversation with Narcissa Malfoy? Wait..._

"Pansy told you? But how did Pansy..." Hermione trailed off. _Of course. I went to Diagon Alley, and Draco went to see Pansy. Why isn't he getting the "having an affair" crap?_

"Draco went to see her yesterday after you left. Seems he was pretty agitated. What did you fight about?" Narcissa continued to talk as they made their way into her bedroom.

Hermione was still reeling over the whole situation. "The baby," she said absently. "We had to go to Saint Mungos yesterday morning because I had a few fainting spells."

Narcissa looked alarmed, so Hermione patted her arm. "Don't worry, the baby and I are fine. Draco was just...worried, I guess. And you saw me downstairs. I'm a bit emotional." Hermione frowned. She hated not being in control. But ever since she woke up beside Draco it seemed like her emotional control had flown out the window. Along with her senses. _Am I really getting ready to go on a date with Draco Malfoy?_

Beside her, Narcissa sighed in relief. "I'm glad to hear it. Do tell me if you are feeling even the slightest bit ill, dear."

Hermione nodded silently and allowed Narcissa to pull her into the enormous closet. Hermione glared at the giant mirror.

"Mrs. Malfoy!" cried the mirror nervously. "And Mrs. Malfoy! What can I help you with today?"

Hermione fixed it with a stern glare and Narcissa did likewise. "You can't help me with anything, mirror. And you won't be helping me with anything ever again," Hermione spat. Sudden inspiration hit her as she pulled out her wand. "This is what you get for messing with a _Malfoy, _mirror!" Hermione cried, then uttered the incantation. The mirror cried out in horror as yellow-green light poured from Hermione's wand and enveloped it from all sides. With one last pitiful cry, the mirror was silent. Hermione examined the mirror carefully and tapped it with her wand. When she was sure the spell had worked, she smirked.

Suddenly peals of girlish laughter rang out through the room. Hermione turned around in shock to see Narcissa covering her mouth. "A bit dramatic," choked Narcissa. "But I liked it."

Hermione held her gaze a moment before both of them dissolved into laughter. _Yep, I've officially went around the bend, _thought Hermione. _I'm having a laughing fit with Narcissa Malfoy. Will the insanity ever end?_

Finally the laughter died down. Narcissa and Hermione wiped tears from their eyes. "Well, that was fun. I haven't laughed like that in quite a while. Why don't you run yourself a bath while I pick out a few outfits for you? Then I'll help you with your hair later," Narcissa said with a smile. Hermione smiled back. She got the feeling Narcissa liked having a daughter to dote upon.

Leaving Narcissa to coordinate outfits, Hermione made her way to the bathroom adjacent to her suite. After seeing the size of her walk-in closet, Hermione was not surprised at the ridiculous size of her bathroom, which was twice the size of her bedroom at home. Not only was there an enormous jacuzzi bathtub, but there was a large walk-in shower and a huge vanity with two sinks and a mirror running the full length of it. The tile in here was dark green and like the ceiling in Evanna's room, it had been enchanted. Only instead of a sky, this ceiling depicted a jungle canopy, making Hermione feel as though she were stepping into a forest pool as she slid into the warm water of the jacuzzi tub.

_I could definitely get used to this,_ thought Hermione. She sighed as she leaned back into the water and listened to the sounds of the forest around her. _A very nifty charm. I'm going to have to remember this when we get back._ Abruptly Hermione's eyes snapped open. _When we get back. Right. I'm supposed to be figuring out how to end this madness, not succumbing to it,_ Hermione scolded herself.

She sat up and began lathering herself with the hazelnut body wash she had found with the shampoo and conditioner. It smelled heavenly. As she washed, she reviewed everything she had read the previous night in her head. There had been something promising in one of the potions books, she thought it was called _Potions of the Night: For Sleep, Dreams, and Death, _but she'd have to double check. She frowned. Draco had found something in one of the Dark Magic books as well. Perhaps later she could cross reference them.

Her thoughts turned to her imminent date as she started on her hair. _I can't believe I'm about to go on a date with Draco Malfoy. But then, we're were already married, so would it really be that bad? It was all acting, right?_

She hurried to finish washing her hair after that. She couldn't allow her thoughts to wander too much in that direction. Dating Draco Malfoy...now that was dangerous territory.

Since she didn't know what fantastic ensemble Narcissa would force her into, Hermione made sure to shave her legs. Then, with much reluctance, she lifted herself out of the tub, dried off, and wrapped her hair in a towel. She could have cast a drying spell on it, but she wasn't sure what Narcissa planned for her hair either, so it was best to leave it wet.

Wrapping herself firmly in a fluffy green bathrobe, Hermione silently made her way back to her closet. "Narcissa?" she called softly. She spotted the woman in the back corner of her closet, a little black dress floating in front of her. Narcissa had her wand out and was muttering spells under her breath. Every few moments, something about the dress would change. "Narcissa?" called Hermione again.

Narcissa jumped. "Oh Hermione, you startled me. I have some outfits for you to choose from right here." She walked over to a bench in the closet where she had laid two outfits out for Hermione to choose from.

"What was that you were working on before I came in?" asked Hermione. _It was rather pretty,_ she thought.

Narcissa smiled. "It's your dress for the banquet tonight. You have some lovely things, but I thought it could use a bit of sprucing up."

Hermione snorted. _Yeah right. I'm sure everything I own needs "sprucing up" in your opinion, Narcissa._ The comment didn't bother her though. At least Narcissa sounded a bit more like how Hermione expected her to sound, even if it was said politely.

As Hermione turned her attention to the outfits Narcissa had laid out for her, a thought came to her. "Narcissa, how can you choose an outfit for me if you don't know where Draco will take me?"

Narcissa smiled knowingly. "Oh, I already know where he'll take you, even if he hasn't decided yet."

Hermione cocked her head, throwing Narcissa a curious look. "How? Where?"

"Draco will take you to the same place he always takes you impromptu or when he's in trouble. To Syon Park for a picnic."

Delighted surprise filled Hermione. "Really?" she asked.

Narcissa gave her a funny look. "Yes of course, I don't know why you act so surprised."

Hermione shrugged. _Because the Draco I know would never do something that thoughtful._ "It's just a special place for me, that's all."

Narcissa gave her a musing look and Hermione hurriedly went about choosing an outfit. They were both, naturally, extremely fashionable. Even though she didn't follow witches' fashions, she had heard enough from Lavender and Parvati (and occasionally Ginny) to know that these were the latest and best in witch fashion. The first was a spring green sun dress, the same shade as her blouse, with cute puffy sleeves and a square neckline. It came in just under the bust with a white silk ribbon and fell down in a bell shape ending with a small ruffle at the bottom. A pair of white leather sandals went with the dress. It overall, an adorable ensemble. The second outfit surprised her. Narcissa had chosen a pair of blue jeans with gold seams and a red tunic, which Narcissa had shortened to reach the top of Hermione's thigh rather than fall to her knees. _Very Gryffindor,_ thought Hermione and immediately knew which one to chose.

Behind her, Hermione heard a soft snort. "I knew you would choose that one," said Narcissa. "You are absurdly fond of those muggle jeans."

Hermione tried to detect any malice or derision in her words, but to her surprise she could find none. _Seems like Narcissa has gotten over her pureblood mania._ She pulled on her new outfit, complete with lingerie—Hermione had blushed deeply when Narcissa handed her some lacy red undergarments—_there's no need for anything this sexy,_ she thought, but put them on anyway. There was no harm in feeling beautiful, she decided. It wasn't as if Draco would see them.

Hermione allowed Narcissa to fuss over her hair and nails and smiled to herself. _She's acting rather like Mrs. Weasley._ She glanced at her reflection in her now silent mirror. Narcissa had arranged her hair so it fell in soft curls down her back. It was still rather bushy, but time seemed to have tamed it slightly. _Either that or someone's taught me the secret of Malfoy's perfect hair...Wait. Did I just refer to Malfoy's hair as perfect? It isn't. Certainly not._ An image of Draco's hair from earlier that morning came unabidden to her mind. She giggled softly, remembering how it stuck out. _Wait til I tell Harry and Ron about Draco's bed hair, _she thought to herself, then frowned. No, she couldn't tell Harry or Ron that. _How would I know what Draco's bed hair looks like? It will raise too many questions._

_ "_There!" cried Narcissa, startling Hermione out of her stupor. "Now we'll just get some jewelry and you will be finished!"

Hermione examined her reflection. Her mouth dropped out in surprise. Narcissa had put some light makeup on Hermione, adding some brown and gold eyeshadow, some bronzer to her cheeks and a light shade of pink lipstick to her lips. The overall effect was very natural. Instead of making her appear "painted" as Hermione thought makeup generally did, it enhanced her natural look. Obviously there was something to be said of the application of makeup. Hermione made a mental note to ask Narcissa about it later. The woman would be happy to share, she was sure of it.

"It looks amazing, Narcissa!" Hermione said with sincerity and warmth.

Narcissa looked pleased. "It's nothing, dear. Now, here you are, I think you'll like these," she said handing Hermione a pair of earrings and a matching necklace.

Hermione gasped in delight when she saw what Narcissa had handed her. Two little gold lions dangled from the earrings and a matching charm hung from the gold necklace. "Very Gryffindor. I approve!" laughed Hermione, slipping the earrings in her ears. "Could you get the clasp for me?" she asked Narcissa. The woman nodded and saw to the clasp.

"And now you're finished! Shall we see if my unruly son is ready?" Narcissa asked, smiling micheviously. Hermione found herself laughing in response.

"Just a minute, Narcissa. I want to grab a few things from the library before I go. Can you tell Draco I'll meet him in the front hall in a few minutes?" Despite her giddiness from being pampered—_by Narcissa Malfoy, of all people—_and her nerves at the thought actually going on a _date_ with Draco, Hermione had managed to make a plan. If Draco would be taking her on a picnic, it would be a perfect opportunity for them to research together. She just needed to grab a few books from the library.

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><p>Draco was pacing. It was ridiculous he was nervous about this in any way. It was just Hermione Granger, Hogwarts' bushy-haired know-it-all. He was Draco Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin and the epitome of cool superiority. He was not nervous. He was <em>not.<em>

He had taken a long shower, hoping the water would wash away this, this _feeling_ (he would not call it nerves), but he was disappointed. If nothing else, he felt even more agitated when he stepped out of the shower.

Damn and blast his mother! He and Hermione's meeting with her had definitely not gone the way he planned. He had seen it as the perfect opportunity to have some fun with Granger, and was counting on his mother's sense of pureblood superiority to put Granger in her place. It wasn't often you could catch Hermione completely off guard, and to see her struggle through a situation would have been amusement.

But his mother completely blindsided him. Her cool manner had at first put him at ease—at least something was normal in this crazy universe. His relief came too soon however, when she switched tactics. Suddenly she was warm, welcoming and conspiratorial with Hermione. Draco was dumbfounded.

Hermione had struggled to compose herself at first, but once she found her ground with Narcissa she had changed demeanor so fast Draco didn't know what to make of it. Now he found himself preparing to take Hermione bloody Granger on a date, at his _mother's_ request. He didn't know how much more of this world he could take.

A jolt went through him when she realized he had no idea where to take Hermione. He didn't know much about her except that she was a stubborn, know-it-all bookworm who was insufferably Gryffindor and had considerably fine eyes, especially when she was angry. _Wait. Did I just say that Granger had fine eyes? Great. Now the insanity is affecting me. I don't really think Granger has fine eyes, right? I mean, sure, I like the way they flash when she's all riled up, but that doesn't mean I think they're fine. Or beautiful. Certainly not._

All this thinking was doing nothing to help his dilemma over where to take her. Normally he would just take a girl to a fancy restaurant, but something was telling him Hermione wouldn't like that. He snorted, _Probably wouldn't know how to behave,_ he thought derisively. Briefly he considered the fun of taking Hermione to a place where she would embarrass herself, but quickly dismissed the idea. Hermione had already surprised him once, and he wasn't anxious for a repeat performance. Plus, the whole purpose of this "date" was to uphold the Malfoy name, to discredit any claims that an affair was happening. Having Hermione hex him in the middle of the date wouldn't help matters.

He wracked his brain as he dressed in a pair of dark jeans. He had been surprised to find these in his wardrobe, but found he rather liked them. (Not that he intended to tell anyone of course. Malfoy's weren't fond of _anything_ muggle.) He slipped on a light blue button up shirt and rolled up the sleeves. An answer to his dilemma still evaded him. He growled in frustration as he tied up his black leather boots, feeling as hopeless as Longbottom. _Okay, maybe not that hopeless._ Suddenly an idea occurred to him, as sudden as the knowledge of his daughter's names had come to him the day before. Syon Park, just outside of London. He smiled. He would take Hermione there for a picnic. It was perfect.

Adding a bit of French cologne and examining his reflection in the mirror, Draco smirked. _Perfect, as usual._ He turned around at the sound of someone entering the room.

"Are you ready, dear?" Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the sound of his mother's voice. _I'm not a child._

"Yes, Mother. Where's Hermione?" He was suddenly curious about what his mother had done to her. Surely there was no hope of making that mess beautiful? _She did look pretty at the Yule Ball last year though. But that had to be a fluke._

"She'll meet you in the front hall in a few minutes. Why don't you wait for her there?" his mother said sweetly. Draco eyed his mother warily. She sounded entirely too innocent. _What did she do __to Hermione?_

"Alright Mother. I'll be down in a minute." His mother nodded and retreated out of the room. That woman was up to something, he was sure of it. Sighing, he grabbed his jacket and headed downstairs.

He had only been waiting a few minutes when he heard her call his name. "Draco? Are you down there?" called Hermione.

Draco was impatient to get going. _Let's get this over with._ "Yes, Granger, I'm down here. Are you going to keep me waiting all day?"

Her voice was reproachful when she spoke next. "I thought we agreed to call each other by our first names, Malfoy," she said. Draco looked away from the door and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, Hermione. Let's just get going..." Draco stopped talking when he looked up at her practically skipping down the stairs. He felt as though he had never looked at her properly before. At first he thought she looked much the same as she always did, her bushy hair bouncing lightly on her shoulders, her fine brown eyes gleaming with some secret knowledge and her posture straight and alert. _But why does she suddenly look beautiful?_

His mother had done a masterful job in preparing Hermione. As she bounded closer, he noticed her hair, though still bushy was a bit tamer—_how long had it been like that?_ She was wearing trace amounts of makeup, which brought out her bright brown eyes and accented her small pink lips. Not that he was considering her lips, of course. He was merely making an observation.

He smirked when he saw her red tunic and gold jewelry. The outfit she had chosen flattered her figure perfectly. His mother was a genius. Not that he was interested in seeing her figure. But he could appreciate it if he saw it, right?

Shaking these thoughts away quickly, he smirked at Hermione. "A little too Gryffindor for a Malfoy, don't you think?" he asked her.

She sniffed. "Of course not," she said scathingly. "I am a Malfoy, aren't I? A Malfoy _and_ a Gryffindor." She said it with such cool formality that Draco had to force his mouth not to drop open. _That's it. She isn't allowed to spend anymore time with my mother._

Narcissa had been watching from the shadows. She stepped out when Hermione made this comment. "She's got you there dear," she said with that mischevious laugh she seemed to have developed around Hermione. It unnerved him.

Narcissa turned to Hermione. "Would you like to say good bye to the girls before you leave?" she asked. Hermione's entire face lit up.

"Oh, yes!" she said happily.

Draco felt an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach when Hermione smiled. She so rarely did that when he was around. He staunchly ignored it, afraid that if he examined the feeling, he might realize he _liked_ to see Hermione smile.

He was saved from having to fill the silence by the shrieks of his little girls running down the hallway. "Mummy!" cried Naomi, holding her arms out for Hermione. "You look pretty, Mummy." She turned to Draco. "Daddy, tell Mum she looks pretty!"

Draco's eyes widened and Hermione blushed. "You're gorgeous Hermione," he said, the words falling effortlessly from his lips. Hermione's eyes widened with surprise and then she smiled with pleasure, the blush still on her cheeks. _Why did I do that? I could have just said pretty, like Naomi. No, I had to go all out. Idiot._ Draco mentally cursed himself and focused on anything but Hermione. This was easily done when Evanna tottered over to him.

"Da!" she yelled, and Draco smiled at her and swooped her up. Evanna giggled as he threw her up in the air. _She really is adorable,_ Draco silently admitted.

"Are you leaving?" asked Naomi.

"Yes," Hermione and Draco said at the same time. They gaped at each other. Draco shrugged it off.

"Yes, I'm taking Mummy on a picnic," Draco said. Naomi's eyes lit up.

"Can we come?" she asked excitedly. _Damn, _thought Draco. He struggled to think of an excuse for a moment, then caught sight of his mother still standing in the shadows.

"No," he said with finality. Naomi's face crumpled and Hermione glared at him. He knew she was about to protest, so he quickly continued before she had a chance to get a word in edgewise. "No, you can't come with us, because there is someone here to see you, and she will be very sad if you leave her here alone."

Hermione, Naomi and Evanna simultaneously cocked their heads curiously. It was so funny Draco almost laughed. He was saved from having to answer by his mother stepping forward. "Hello girls," she said with a smile.

"Nanna!" cried the girls. Both Naomi and Evaan struggled out of their parents' grasp and ran to Narcissa, who eagerly bent down to hug them.

"Look how how big you're getting!" said Narcissa. The girls giggled and hugged her.

"I grew one whole inch since last month," said Naomi proudly. "And I can write my name and Vanna's!"

Narcissa made a surprised face and beamed at her. "That's amazing! I knew you were a smart girl."

"Sis smar!" said Evanna.

"That's right!" laughed Narcissa. Draco watched his mother in wonder. He had never seen her around small children and he couldn't remember her ever acting so...exuberant, even when he was a boy. She had been motherly and showered him with attention, but never like this. He wondered if it was because they were girls, or if there was another reason. Namely, the absence of his father hovering over her shoulder, lecturing her on Malfoy propriety.

He knew his mother and father loved each other. It was obvious to anyone who knew them well. But theirs had always been a private love. Pure public affection like what his mother was displaying now never occurred in the Malfoy house except on the rarest occasions.

Draco sneaked a glance at her Hermione and found her watching his mother and their girls with a far away expression. Absently she reached up and rubbed her stomach. _Gods. Hermione is actually pregnant._ They had to figure a way out of this mess soon. But at the moment, they had other business to attend to. Abruptly he drew himself up. "I think we're no longer needed here," he said smoothly.

Both Hermione and Narcissa looked up at this statement. "Quite right. Off with you two. The girls and I will be fine. We'll see you tonight before the banquet," Narcissa said in what was a clear dismissal.

"Goodbye girls," said Hermione, waving at the girls. Draco thought this was absurd since they were only a few feet form each other, but refrained from saying anything.

"Bye!" the little girls chorused together and waved their little hands. Everyone looked at Draco expectantly.

"Oh, uh, bye girls. Bye Mother," he said. Evanna blinked up at him and waved a chubby hand. Realizing she expected him to do the same, Draco hesitantly raised a hand and gave her a little wave. The result was a beaming smile from all the females in the room. Draco looked at them in wonder. _I'll never understand women,_ he thought pettishly.

He looked over at Hermione. _Well, here goes nothing._ "Shall we?" he asked, holding out an arm to her.

She graced him with a small smile before taking his arm and Draco felt the strange feeling in his stomach again. "Are you ready?" she asked him as they made their way to the door.

_No. Absolutely not. This is utter madness, you know that Granger?_ He smiled at her and hoped it did look too much like a grimace. "Ready as I'll ever be, he said. Then he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her to him and apparated them away.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> If anyone has suggestions or ideas they'd like to share on how the "date" will go or where the goes, I'd be happy to hear them. I've already got most of it mapped out, but I love to hear your suggestions! :) Thanks for reading.

Also, Syon Park is a real place. It is located about 8 miles west of London and is one of the last remaining "country" residences in London. You'll hear more about it during the date. I haven't been there personally though, so I apologize if any of my research is incorrect. If any of you live in or near London and have been there, I'd really appreciate any information you can give me. Thank you!


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **I am completely blown away. Over 100 reviews? You guys are amazing! Thanks so much for all the reviews, alerts and favorites. And thank you so much for reading!

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

They landed with a soft "oomph" from both parties. Hermione was immediately aware of Draco's arm wound tightly around her waist and was shocked to find she didn't mind it. _It doesn't mean anything,_ she told herself firmly. "Where have you taken me?" she asked Draco, at the same time glancing eagerly across the green landscape. A smile rose to her lips as the sweeping green fields and stately house before them confirmed what Narcissa had told her.

"Syon Park," said Draco, removing his arm from around her waist. Hermione furiously quelled the sting of disappointment she felt from loss of contact.

"Wow," breathed Hermione earnestly admiring their surroundings. "Draco, this place is beautiful!"

Draco snorted. "I am capable of impressing a girl now and then, Granger."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Trying to impress me, Malfoy?"

Draco immediately scowled, and Hermione felt the satisfaction of irking him. "As if," he said, a bit flustered. Hermione smirked. She _liked _teasing him. As her eyes once again roamed the large park, a thought came to her.

"Draco!" she said suddenly taking hold of his arm. "Don't you need an appointment to visit this place?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her and looked down at her hand on his arm. Hermione blushed. _Why did I do that?_ She thought and released his arm as though burned. "I'm a wizard. You're a witch. We'll "magic" ourselves some passes." He gave her a strange look. Hermione resisted the urge to do a face plant. _Duh, Hermione. Call yourself the brightest witch of your age, hmm?_

"Right," she said, blushing again. _Why do I keep doing that?_

Draco smirked and the two of them fell silent. Hermione glanced around the park again. It really was a beautiful place. The air was warm, still clinging to the last bits of summer. Some of the trees and shrubbery across the grounds were just beginning to change color, their leaves of yellow and red contrasting sharply against the remaining green foliage. Hermione felt the silence between them begin to lengthen awkwardly. For a moment she considered taking a leaf out of the Ministry hag Umbridge's book and making a soft "ahem" to get Draco's attention, but thankfully he broke the silence, sparing her the indignity.

"Uh, I suppose, do you want to walk for a bit, Granger?" Draco asked, slipping back into his habit of calling her by her surname. Hermione sighed. They weren't going to get very far if he couldn't even call her by her name. Shouldn't he be a better actor then this? She decided to make it easier on him.

"Yes, please. And perhaps we could find a spot to sit for a while? I brought some books so we can continue our research..."

The awkwardness vanished at once. Draco's smirk returned. "Of course you did."

Hermione bristled at his tone. _What's that supposed to mean?_ "I thought you wanted to get out of this mess," she bit out.

Draco held up his hands in mock surrender. "Calm down. Of course I do. But only you would bring a book on a _date._" She glanced sharply at him on his emphasis of the word "date" and decided not to dignify his remark with an answer. Instead she sniffed and pushed past him, starting down the gentle slope towards a large ornamental lake that spread out before them.

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><p>Draco groaned. What was with Granger? <em>Why does she have to be so damn temperamental?<em> The answer came to him almost immediately. _Because she's pregnant, you dolt._ Deciding it was probably best not to tick off a hormonally unbalanced witch who had been known to smack him on more than one occasion, he took off after her. "Granger! Wait!" He cursed to himself when she picked up speed. "Hermione!" he shouted.

She froze at the sound of her name and slowly turned around, allowing Draco a moment to catch up. "Hermione," he said again. "I was only joking. Come on. Let's walk a bit before we sit down to work. Do you want to see the Great Conservatory?"

He watched her eyes widen in surprise. Her mouth fell open a bit. Draco nodded, taking this as a yes and without waiting for her to answer, took her arm and steered her around the lake towards the large stone and glass building ahead of them.

She was mercifully silent as they walked and chewed her bottom lip. Occasionally her eyebrows would furrow and various emotions flitted across her face, too fast for Draco to understand them. He looked away, occupied with his own conflicted emotions. _I'm just being nice so she'll find us a way out of here sooner. It's all for personal gain. I'm a Slytherin, for Salazar's sake. I'm not some poncy Gryffindor. I'm not trying to appease her feelings._

Their internal arguments kept them occupied until they reached the Conservatory's doors. Graciously Draco stepped forward and held the door for Hermione, who again looked at him in shock before walking through quietly. _What? I can be a gentleman too._

As soon as they stepped inside, Hermione gasped. Draco turned to her, startled by her sudden noise, and had to stop himself from smiling at her delighted surprise and amazement. Quickly he glanced around the room to distract himself and found himself nodding in approval. Even he was impressed. It was quite a bit warmer inside the Conservatory than outside, so Draco shed his jacket and shrunk it down so he could slip it in his pocket. Then he made sure his sleeves were neatly rolled up to his elbows before going back to Hermione. He looked up and was startled to see her watching him. She immediately blushed and looked away. Draco cocked his head to the side. _Was she just checking me out? Impossible._

"It was the first of its kind," blurted Hermione suddenly, as if trying to cover up what had happened only moments ago. Her cheeks were still red. Draco thought she looked rather cute when she was flustered. _Wait. Did I just think she was cute?_

"What?" Draco said sharply, though not in response to Hermione. He was too busy trying to rid himself of his thoughts.

"The Great Conservatory," said Hermione, sounding relieved. "It was the first of its kind to be built out of gunmetal, Bath stone and glass. This is what inspired Joseph Paxton when he designed the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London in 1851." She studied the elegant stone work and large glass dome above them appreciatively.

Draco stared at her in astonishment. "Do you know everything?"

Hermione jumped and her cheeks reddened. "I read a lot," she said defensively.

"Obviously." He watched her shift her feet uncomfortably. Silence spread between them again until something snapped in Draco. "This is ridiculous," he said abruptly and marched up to her. He took her hand in his and pulled her close to him. She gasped and stared at their hands open-mouthed. "This is supposed to be a date," Draco drawled, trying to sound like his normal, aloof self. "How are we going to put a stop to those half-baked rumors that are slandering the Malfoy name if we can't even hold hands?"

Hermione's mouth snapped shut. Draco was surprise to feel her hand return his hold firmly. "You're right," she said.

Draco grinned, and immediately Hermione scowled, realizing what she just said. "I thought you were only going to say those words to me once," Draco teased.

"Shut up," Hermione said, glaring at him. Her eyes gleamed and Draco felt his grin getting wider.

"Anything you say, Mrs. Malfoy," he said with a mock bow. Hermione's glare deepened and she stomped on his foot. Draco chuckled. He _liked_ teasing her.

* * *

><p>Hermione almost gasped in shock at the sound of Malfoy's chuckle. <em>Is he really laughing? <em>She shook her head in amazement. _It's almost as if we're getting along,_ she mused. The thought made her oddly happy, so she turned to Draco and smiled. He blinked at her for a moment, then slowly returned the smile. _He looks different when he smiles,_ she thought. Gone were the harsh lines that accompanied his usual sneer, replaced with soft laugh lines and—was that a dimple?

"Shall we?" Draco's voice pulled her from her thoughts. A blush covered her cheeks when she realized they were still standing in place, holding hands.

"Yes," she mumbled, and they started off. It was an odd feeling, walking beside Draco Malfoy holding hands. Odd indeed. Instead, she tried to imagine it was Ron standing beside her, whispering in her ear as they passed exotic plants and bright tropical flowers. For some reason, that made her blush even more. Perhaps diverting her thoughts would be better.

Automatically her studious self kicked in, mentally cataloguing the various plants they saw. Every few minutes she would burst forth with another obscure fact, and Draco would comment or nod his head. Occasionally they stopped completely when she started rambling about the list of uses for a particular plant, and twice they secretly collected a few samples.

"There you go," said Draco, gently handing her yet another vial of petals. Hermione giggled as she carefully placed the vial in her purse, which had been charmed with an undetectable extension charm. Glancing about to make sure no muggles were near, she pulled out her wand and cast an unbreakable charm on the vials to prevent them from getting broken by the multitude of books she had neatly stacked in her purse this morning. Then she giggled again.

"We really shouldn't be doing this," she said. Draco snorted.

"And since when did you care about rules? I seem to remember you and the Wonder Duo disregarding them on multiple occasions over the past years."

Hermione's face fell a bit at the mention of Harry and she saw Draco's face immediately crinkle with concern. She shook her head. _Concern? Draco? I must be seeing things. Just because we are getting along—for the sake of getting out of this mess—does not mean he's changed. Draco Malfoy is not concerned about me._ "That was different," she sniffed. "We always had good reason."

Draco's eyes gleamed with something—was that amusement? "And you don't have good reason now?"

Defensiveness rose up in Hermione."Of course I do!" she cried. "These petals are highly useful in several potions..." She trailed off as Draco burst into laughter. Angrily she put her hands on her hips, but this appeared to make him laugh harder. "I don't see what is so funny," she said, pursing her lips, but at last she could hold it no longer and she burst out laughing with him.

When their laughter had died down, both jumped at the sound of a low rumble. _Oh my gods, that was..._ Hermione blushed red.

"Was that your stomach?" asked Draco, his eyes wide. A smile played about his lips.

_ Damn him. _"Yes," said Hermione. She put a hand over her stomach as if to silence it. "I guess I'm extra hungry since I'm eating for two," she said. Draco paled. Hermione frowned. _I don't know why he gets so upset very time the baby comes up. It's not as if he's the one carrying it. And we'll be out of here long before I give birth. Hopefully._

Draco cleared his throat a bit nervously. "Well, do you want to walk back down to the lake? There was a nice oak tree down there we could sit under. I've arranged for a picnic."

Hermione couldn't help but smile. "Really?" she asked, the delight evident in her voice. "Draco, that sounds wonderful! Let's go! She reached out and grabbed his hand, dragging him to the door. She didn't stop to wonder at her lack of hesitation to hold Draco's hand.

* * *

><p>Draco's mouth fell open in shock and he was glad Hermione was in front of him, unable to see it. He stared down at their hands, once again entwined. Her hands were soft, he noticed, and there were spots of ink staining the tips of her fingers. He wondered why he'd never noticed that before. <em>And why would I notice Granger's hands? This is getting ridiculous,<em> he scolded himself and viciously shook the thoughts from his mind. _This is all for show,_ he reminded himself.

In no time they had reached the spot under the oak he had noticed earlier. Draco scanned the area for muggles and seeing none, conjured a blanket for them to sit on. As he lowered it gently to the ground, he heard Hermione mutter, _"Repelum Muggletum,"_ as she flicked her wand.

"Do you think it's because we're older?" Hermione asked. Draco looked down at her in confusion.

"What?" he asked.

Hermione shook herself. _Maybe she hadn't meant to say that out loud, _Draco thought as she seemingly collected herself_._ "Do you think the reason no Ministry owl has been hounding us today is because we're older? I mean, technically we've been performing under-age magic all day. So wherever we are, we must be older. It's strange." She sighed.

Draco frowned at the thought as he sat down beside her. _Stranger than you know._ Then he cleared his throat. "Sunny!" he called out. With the loud crack that accompanies apparation, Sunny the house elf appeared, a large picnic basket in her small arms. "Just set it there, Sunny, " Draco said, then dismissed her with a wave of his hand.

"Thank you, Sunny!" Hermione quickly interjected before the elf could disappear. Draco shook his head at her. _Gryffindors._ The elf nodded and disappeared with another crack.

"You're not supposed to thank them," Draco said in an admonishing tone. It was a mistake. Hermione immediately rounded on him, a fierce gleam in her eye.

"They have just as much right to be treated as well as any witch or wizard!"

Draco shook his head. "It's their job to serve."

"Not our elves," she retorted angrily. "Didn't you see her clothes? Sunny is a free elf. She serves us because she chooses to!" Hermione huffed angrily. Draco stared at her in surprise. _Does she realize she just referred to them as "our" elves?_ He stared into her angry eyes. _I don't think so._

"Alright, I apologize," said Draco. "I'll have a word with her when we get home," he said, hardly believing the words coming out of his own mouth. Hermione obviously didn't either. She stared at him with open-mouthed astonishment. _Why is it,_ he wondered, _that shock is starting to be an all too familiar emotion?_ He shook it off. "Shall we eat? You were starving a moment ago, weren't you?"

Hermione reddened and nodded. Apparently she was still speechless. Rolling his eyes, Draco opened the picnic basket and pulled out two plates and some silverware for each of them. Then he carefully pulled out each dish of food and set them on the blanket between them. His mouth began to water. For their lunch he had ordered oven roasted chicken, French bread with herbed butter and creamed potatoes with chives. For dessert there were strawberries and cream.

The two of them wasted no time in filling their plates. Draco smiled in amusement as Hermione stuffed a piece of the French bread into her mouth and groaned as though she had not been fed for days. Then, to his even greater amusement, she exclaimed, "Draco, this is heavenly!" He chuckled and she blushed. "I was hungrier than I thought I guess," she mumbled. Draco smiled.

Hermione stared at him and Draco had a moment to study her. He wondered what she was thinking. Wasn't there a spell for that? He sighed, which seemed to snap her back to reality. After patting her mouth with a napkin, she quickly began rummaging about in her purse and withdrawing several large books.

"Since we're sitting down, we might as well research," she said matter-of-factly. Draco resisted the strong urge to groan. _Know-it-all Granger is back again._ Hermione also pulled out a stack of parchment and a quill. "Here are my notes from last night," she said. I spent most of my time trying to reconstruct what Neville might have put in his potion. I know what the base should be, and I know that the final ingredient was powdered root of asphodel."

"Which is what caused the mixture to become some sort of Draught of Living Death," Draco interrupted. He reached over and took her notes, ignoring her squawk of protest. His eyebrows shot up as he scanned the pages. "Merlin's beard, Hermione, did you really come up with all the possible combinations Neville could have used to add his ingredients?" He looked up to find her glaring at him.

"Yes," she bit out. Draco frowned.

"There's no need to get testy," he said. _Geez, what did I do now?_

"You stole my notes!" she said. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Fine, here you go," he said, handing back her notes. She snatched them from his hands.

"Now, before you interrupted me, I was saying that I had made a list of all the ingredients of Neville's potion and why it reacted the way it did. This morning as I was reviewing, I thought I made a connection, but now I can make sure." Draco watched as she hastily flipped open two different books, one of which he noticed, was the one he had fallen asleep reading last night. He watched as her eyes flew over the pages and she began muttering to herself. _There she goes again._ Draco studied her as she worked. _Whatever Mother did to her hair worked wonders._ It was still the same bushy mop, but a bit tamer and sleeker. Somehow Narcissa had made the bushiness seem like an asset rather than a horrid nest. As she worked a curl fell down in front of her thinking, Draco reached forward and brushed it behind her ear.

* * *

><p><em>Draco's hand was on her cheek.<em>That was Hermione's resounding thought. One of her curls had fallen down in front of her face and just as she was about to flip it over her shoulder, she felt his hand lightly brush the side of her cheek. She froze, hardly daring to breathe. Holding hands was one thing, but this felt different. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and she willed herself to calm down. _This was Draco Malfoy for goodness sake!_

He didn't remove his hand right away. Instead he held her cheek for a moment, almost as if he had forgotten why his hand was there in the first place. Tentatively Hermione raised her gaze to met his. Instantly the spell was broken and he snatched his hand away as if burned. Small patches of pink appeared on his cheeks. Hermione's mouth dropped open just a fraction. _I just made Draco blush!_

Brushing away this tantalizing thought, she cleared her throat. "I—I have a guess as to what's happened to us," she said.

Draco jumped. "What? What do you mean, a guess?" he said sharply. Hermione raised her eyebrows at his tone and he seemed to remember they were supposed to be working together. "What did you find, Hermione?" he asked in a gentler tone.

She resisted the urge to smirk as he tried to be polite. "Well, as I explained to you the morning we woke up," she paused and blushed in spite of herself, "Neville switched the order of ingredients in the batch of Dreamless Sleep Potion we were supposed to be brewing and added powdered root of asphodel. In combination with the infusion of wormwood used in the Dreamless Sleep Potion, I believe he has made a modified Draught of Living Death."

Draco paled slightly. "But he wasn't successful, right? I mean, we're awake."

Hermione shook her head. "But that's just it. I don't think we are awake. The last thing both of us remember is passing out in the potions classroom. Then suddenly we wake up in a world seemingly without a memory of the past seven years. Yet, whenever we need to know something, the memory pops into our heads or we speak involuntarily. Don't you find that odd?"

Draco seemed to be considering all this. His eyebrows furrowed and he ran a hand through his silky hair. _I wonder if it's soft?_ Hermione bolted upright. _Where did that come from? Damn Malfoy and his gentle hand caressing my cheek...wait, now it was a caress? Get a grip, Hermione._ Draco looked up suddenly. "So what you're saying is that all this," he said and gestured to the air around them. Hermione nodded.

"All of this is a dream," she said. Draco was silent, his eyes getting a distant look.

"A dream," he mumbled.

"Yes," said Hermione, feeling a bit uneasy. "Right now, we're probably laying in a bed in the Hospital Wing. I'm sure Professor Snape is working on an antidote right now. I think he could probably work one out using Galpalotts's Third Law..."

"Hang on, isn't that sixth year level potions?" asked Draco, raising an eyebrow. Hermione blushed. _Oh, why can't I stop doing that?_

"Yes, it is, actually."

Draco whistled. "You really are a know-it-all, aren't you?" He said it in a light, teasing tone. Hermione allowed herself to smile.

"I suppose I am." They lapsed back into silence again.

"So we're stuck here until Snape finds an antidote?" Draco asked suddenly.

"Professor Snape," Hermione corrected automatically. Draco snorted. "And yes, I believe we are. Either that or until the potion wears off. We could try brewing and drinking our own antidote, but I don't think it would work."

Draco leaned forward. "It would be worth a try though," he said eagerly.

Hermione smiled at his apparent eagerness. "Yes, I don't see why we couldn't give it a try. But what I still don't understand is why I am here with you." She looked at Draco and saw him retreat slightly. Regret filled her. "Oh no, not right now, I mean I don't understand why you and I have a joint dream. I mean, at first I thought perhaps everyone was in the dream together, but then Harry..." She trailed off.

"Potter could be dead in the real world too," Draco said. Hermione punched his arm as hard as she could. "Ouch!" yelped Draco. "What was that formmph." His sentence was broken off as she punched him again, this time in the stomach.

"Not funny, Malfoy," she warned. Draco shut up. Still glaring at him, she continued. "We should all be trapped with in our own minds. I can't imagine why you and I are linked. It will make it harder, I think to wake us up. I'm not sure what will happen if one of us were to get the antidote, say right now and the other didn't. I think we would still be stuck."

She looked over at Draco and found him staring at her with a horrified expression. "You mean we could be stuck like this forever?" Hermione rolled her eyes at his horror. _There are worse things, you know, you spoiled ferret!_

"Possibly," she said just to torture him. Actually it was her opinion that they would wake up at some random point, after the potion had run its course. Neville's accident potion couldn't possibly be that strong. But she wasn't going to tell Draco that. It was too much fun to tease him. Idly, she reached over and plucked a few strawberries from a bowl and dipped them in the sweet cream. _Merlin, these are so good!_ She glanced down at the gold watch on her wrist. It was nearly four o'clock. "Draco!" she shrieked. "We were supposed to be back an hour ago to get ready for the Ministry's dinner tonight! It's at six!" She didn't wait for a reply, she just immediately started stuffing the books and parchment back into her purse. "Your mother is going to kill me for being late!"

She didn't notice Draco watching her with amusement, or how he casually vanished the remaining food and plates. Last to go was the blanket. Both of them jumped up. Hermione stepped close to Draco and threw her arms around him. He stiffened under her touch, but Hermione was in too much of a rush to notice. "Well? What are you waiting for? Apparate us home!" Hermione said impatiently. She lifted her head to look at Draco's face.

She knew instantly it was a mistake. Draco's cool grey eyes stared down at her with an odd intensity. _Maybe I shouldn't have thrown my arms around him. _Hermione bit her lip as Draco studied her. She felt her cheeks heat up under his gaze as his arms slowly slid around her waist, encircling her to him. For a moment Draco's eyes flicked down her her lips and Hermione felt her breath hitch. Unconsciously she licked her lips. _Bad idea, Hermione._

The look in Draco's eyes intensified. Hermione felt the tension between them growing. Something would have to give soon. "Ar-aren't we going to apparate?" Hermione whispered, horrified to find her voice sounding breathy.

"Yes," murmured Draco, reaching up to tuck another wayward curl behind her ear. Again his hand lingered.

"Draco?" whispered Hermione. She wasn't sure what she was asking. They were very close, she realized. So close in fact, that they could—all thoughts flew from her mind as she felt Draco's lips softly touch her own. She responded instantly and kissed him back. He tightened his grip on her. _Oh my sweet Merlin, I am kissing Draco Malfoy,_ Hermione thought wildly.

Suddenly the thought of what was happening seemed to occur to both of them and they flew apart. Draco looked at her frantically, stumbling backwards a few steps, his pale cheeks flushed. Then without another word, he apparated.

Hermione stood there for a moment more in stunned silence. _I just kissed Draco Malfoy. I just kissed Draco-freaking-Malfoy. And he left me._ Hermione frowned at this, but then reasoned she would probably make it back okay as long as she focused on Malfoy Manor. The dream world should take her there, she reasoned. With that sorted out, she went back to the more important issue. _I just kissed Draco Malfoy._ As she prepared herself to apparate and willed herself back to Malfoy Manor, her last thought was the mantra: _I just kissed Draco Malfoy. I kissed Draco Malfoy, and he kissed me back._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Again, I am aware that the students don't learn to apparate until their 6th year, but for the sake of this story, they can. And as the lovely Hermione pointed out, their dream is taking place 7 years in the future, so technically, they would have already learned to apparate. ;) Also, I am taking creative license with the ingredients of both the Draught of Living Death and The Dreamless Sleep Potion. I apologize if anything is horribly wrong. Finally, if anyone is interested, what Hermione tells Draco about The Great Conservatory being the first of its kind and an inspiration to Joseph Paxton for the Crystal Palace is true. Mini history lesson, if anyone cares!


	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **Hello, faithful readers, and welcome new ones! Sorry for the slight delay. This chapter is slightly longer than the rest, if that makes up for anything. I think you'll be surprised with the confrontation at the end. I only hope it isn't too sappy or dramatic. Then again, maybe it should be. Let me know what you think in a review!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

With a loud crack, Draco landed on the walkway leading up to the Manor. He took a few steps forward, stumbled, and fell to his knees. He glanced about wildly as if the Hounds of Hell were right behind him. _I just kissed Hermione Granger. Hermione-bloody-Granger._ He put his face in his hands. Not only did he just kiss Hermione Granger, but he kissed her and he _liked_ it.

_ No, _his mind interjected. _Not Hermione Granger. Hermione Malfoy. You kissed Hermione Malfoy, your wife. Your wife who is carrying your child._ It was too much. He groaned aloud and nearly jumped out of his skin as a second crack of apparation rang out over the yard. He stood up and whirled about, catching sight of Hermione swaying dangerously, her hand over her stomach. _Oh no, what's wrong with her?_ Draco stepped towards her, unease written on his face. "Hermione?"

She jerked her head up at him, looking a little green. She grimaced, then turned and threw up half of the contents of her stomach. Draco's face turned up in disgust. _I just kissed that?_ Hermione coughed, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and then laughed weakly when she saw his face. As if guessing his thoughts, she said, "It's not you, I just got a little motion sickness, that's all." She grimaced again. "Must be the pregnancy. Gods, I hope I don't start throwing up all the time."

Draco returned her grimace. _You and me both, Granger. Why, oh why did she have to be pregnant? Didn't the dream world make it bad enough by marrying us?_ He cleared his throat just as Hermione was vanishing her vomit with a flick of her wand. "Uh, should we go inside then?" Mutely, she nodded and held out her hand—the one she hadn't used to wipe her mouth. Draco looked at it confusedly.

Hermione made an exasperated sound. "Draco, we just came back from a romantic date. Don't you think it would look odd if we walked in separately?"

Inwardly, Draco cursed. _Damn. Why does she always have to be right?_ Reluctantly he took her hand and they walked slowly towards the door. Hermione remained silent. Draco surreptitiously glanced over at her, waiting for her to say something. _Isn't she going to mention the kiss? I mean, I didn't just imagine that did I?_ He licked his lips, reliving the memory. No, he definitely didn't imagine it. _So why hasn't she mentioned it yet?_

Abruptly Hermione came to a stop just before they reached the door. She turned to him, an earnest look on her face. _Here it comes,_ thought Draco nervously. What would he say? That he liked it and maybe they could try it again sometime? No, of course not. He would sound like a silly first year. _Wait, why was he even thinking about kissing her again?_

"Thank you Draco." Hermione gave him a tentative smile. _What? Thanks for what? For kissing you? No. Stop thinking about kissing her, Draco. She just threw up for Salazar's sake!_ She must have caught his confusion, because she went on. "Today was one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me, despite this being a dream, of course." Neither one mentioned the fact that they had only gone on the date for appearance's sake and because Narcissa all but pushed them out the door.

Draco shrugged. "It was nothing." _What about the kiss?_

Hermione squeezed his hand as they walked through the door. "Not to me," she whispered.

Draco didn't have a second to think about what she meant by that statement before they were once again assaulted with hugs and shrieks of joy from their vivacious girls. Hermione let go of Draco's hand to sweep both girls into a hug. Draco felt the sting of cold air against his empty hand and wished she hadn't let go. He shook his head. _Enough of this._ He turned his attention to the little girls. They were both dressed in elegant velvet dresses, Naomi in Slytherin green and silver, and Evanna in Gryffindor red and gold. He smiled.

"Look at you!" he cried, gaining all the girls' attention. "Look how beautiful you are!" Naomi beamed and twirled around proudly.

"I toldNanna to make mine green, for Slytherin!" she said with a touch of superiority in her voice. Draco smirked and looked over at Hermione, who he was shocked to see had her hand over her mouth as if holding back laughter. He turned back to his girls.

"And what about you,Vanna? Are you Daddy's little Gryffindor princess tonight?" Evanna tugged at the skirt of her dress bashfully and nodded. Then she looked up at Draco with big brown eyes and said "Rawr!"

Draco laughed and swooped her up in his arms. It felt so right to do so. _Maybe having kids isn't such a bad thing. I mean, how adorable are these girls?_ "That's right, my little lioness!" he cried, throwing her up into the air and catching her. Evanna shrieked and giggled.

Just then Narcissa rounded the corner into the hall. "There you are! Where have you two been?" she said in a mock scolding tone. Naomi giggled.

"Mummy and Daddy are in trouble!" she announced gleefully.

Narcissa smiled at her, then looked sternly at Draco and Hermione. "They most certainly are. I wonder what they could have been doing to make them an hour late?" There was a glint in her eye as she caught Draco's gaze.

Draco looked hurriedly away, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermione do the same. Why did he feel so embarrassed, like a school boy caught out of bounds?

"I guess we got caught up in the moment," Hermione said. Draco looked at her in alarm. She caught his expression and blushed. _Was she talking about...? _Hastily she amended her statement. "Draco set up such a lovely picnic for me, and then he _read_ to me. You know me, I always get so caught up in my books."

"Hmm," saidNarcissa, eyeing the pair of them closely. "Hermione, I laid out your dress for you in your room. Draco, your robes are hanging beside your bed. You'll both have to hurry to get ready now. The Minister expects us there early!"

Draco tried not to roll his eyes. _Yes Mother. I'm not a boy anymore, I think I can dress myself._ He saw Hermione straighten up and nod demurely to his mother. "Thank youNarcissa. Will you watch the girls until we're ready?"

His mother shook her head. "I'll haveRilla watch them. I need to get ready too, dear." Again Hermione nodded and then bent down and kissed the top of Naomi's head.

"Don't get your dress dirty or rumpled, sweetheart," she said. "You heardNanna. Go on, take your sister and go play with Rilla until your Daddy and I are ready. We won't be long!"

Naomi nodded and held out her hand for Evanna. Draco kissed her cheek and set her down with her sister. He smiled as he watched them skip down the hall, their little black shoes clicking as they hit the floor. "They're so adorable," he said.

Suddenly Hermione's arms were around him and she squeezed him into a quick hug. "I love it when you say things like that," she said impulsively and almost as quickly as she had done it, she let him go and bounded up the stairs. "See you soon?"

Dumbly, Draco nodded and watched her disappear up the stairs. He turned to look at his mother, but she had left with the girls. _What just happened?_

* * *

><p>Hermione practically ran to her room after hugging Draco. What on earth possessed her to do that? <em>Get ahold of yourself, Hermione! First you kiss Draco, then you hug him for practically no reason? It wasn't for no reason,<em> her brain argued. _He was just being so sweet to the girls, and he kissed me first!_ She fell back against her door after she closed it, letting out a huge breath.

Perhaps a cold shower would shock some sense into her. She nodded, as if to reaffirm her thoughts and walked calmly to her bathroom, once again marveling at her jungle canopy ceiling. _I definitely have to get one of these,_ she thought appreciatively as she slid out of her clothes and stepped into the shower. As she scrubbed her body, her mind drifted back to the events of the afternoon. The date with Draco hadn't been at all what she expected. After their initial awkwardness and reluctance to get started, the date had been very pleasant. Draco had been attentive, kind, and made her laugh. He hadn't mentioned her blood status once and there was hardly a hint of the old, conceited Draco Malfoy she had come to know over the past five years. Who knew Draco could be such a gentleman?

And then there was their kiss. Merlin, their kiss. It had only lasted a few brief moments, but already Hermione was wondering how she could get him to do that again. It hadn't been a particularly spectacular kiss. There weren't fireworks or bursts of frenzied passion exploding within her, but she had enjoyed it and wondered how it would be if he hadn't been so impulsive. How would Draco kiss if he really meant to kiss her? Her experience with kissing only included Victor Krum, and those had all been rather shy and hesitant. Hadn't she heard plenty of rumors about Malfoy's "ability" from her classmates?

Hermione shook herself. _Enough of this. He's Draco Malfoy, for goodness sake. Harry, Ron and I's enemy. I shouldn't even think about one kiss with him, let alone be planning for a second and third._ She shut off the water and stepped out of shower, quickly grabbing a towel and muttering a drying charm on her hair. A glance at her clock told her she had spent half an hour in the shower, contemplating her date with Draco. _Half an hour too long,_ she thought, sternly reminding herself that she and Draco could be woken up from this dream world at any moment, after which Draco would surely go back to being his nasty, ferret-faced self. _Well, perhaps not so ferret-faced,_ she amended.

Once she was dry, Hermione entered her closet, looking for the dress Narcissa had chosen for her. She caught sight of it right away and recognized it as the dress Narcissa had been altering earlier. It was velvet, like the girls' dresses and all black except for a gold silk sash around the middle, just under the bust. Hermione eyed it appreciatively before stepping into it and pulling it up over her hips. As she slid her arms through the small half-sleeves, she contemplated going to Draco's room to ask him to zip her up, but quickly pushed away the idea, using magic to pull up the zipper instead. _Don't be ridiculous, Hermione._

The full bell skirt was knee-length and the neckline was a wide v-cut, showing off her collar bone. As she studied her reflection in the mirror, Hermione put a hand to her neck. _I'll need a necklace to go with this. Perhaps the lion one from earlier?_

She put the necklace back around her neck and studied her hair. _I'll wear it like I did for the Yule Ball,_ she decided. _Only this time I'll use those nifty charms Narcissa taught me instead of a whole bottle of Sleekeazy's._ She carefully directed her wand and pulled her hair up into an elegant twist with a few curls trailing down the side of her neck. _That was much easier,_ Hermione thought as she added a few golden pins in her hair to keep it in place. Lastly she slipped her feet into a small pair of black heels—short, otherwise she would have never worn them—and picked up her cloak. She was ready.

* * *

><p>Draco paced the front hall anxiously. What was taking so long? Surely it wouldn't take Hermione much longer to get ready? He glanced over at his mother, dressed in an elegant black and silver gown with a dark green traveling cloak over top, her hair pulled up into a stylish bun. Even she hadn't taken that long, and Merlin knows his mother knew more about fashion and clothes than Hermione. <em>What was taking her so long?<em>

Making sure his mother was occupied with the girls—Naomi was reading to her—Draco stepped over to the large mirror hanging in the hall to check his reflection. He was wearing his finest dress robes. They were the deep ebony with silver cuff links and a delicate silver clasp at the top shaped into a snake. He looked every inch the debonaire Slytherin. _Will Hermione think I look dashing?_ He shook his head, careful not to muss his meticulously combed hair. He didn't care what Hermione thought. _Better that she think me the arrogant Slytherin again. There will be no more of this "loving husband" nonsense—except for the reporters, of course. _ He cursed as he remembered that he and Hermione were supposed to squashing the rumors about Hermione's affair. What did it matter anyway? _It's all a dream._

A sound at the top of the stairs jerked his attention away from his reflection. He went slack jawed. _Damn, Granger, did you always look like this?_ Once again Hermione descended the stairs looking entirely too fetching, in Draco's opinion. He was sure she never looked like that at Hogwarts. _Except for the Yule Ball,_ he suddenly remembered. Hermione had looked stunning beside Krum. Draco could hardly believe it was really her.

"Ready to go?" Hermione asked as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She was blushing, which Draco realized was probably because he was still ogling her. _Snap out of it Draco!_

He cleared his throat. "Yeah. Mother? Girls? Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes!" squealed Naomi gleefully jumping out of Narcissa's lap, her book forgotten. "Can I throw thefloo powder, Daddy?"

Draco raised his eyebrows in amusement. "Why not?"

"As long as you don't get any on your dress, dear," said Hermione, giving him a look of reproach. _What? She won't harm anything._ Hermione took ahold of Naomi's free hand as they stepped into the fireplace. His mother joined them, holding Evanna in her arms. Draco reached over and slipped an arm around Hermione's waist, holding her too him as Naomi threw down the powder and clearly said, "Ministry of Magic!"

When they lurched to a stop, Draco looked down at Hermione, trying not to look smug at the look of surprise on her face. His smugness was quickly replaced with his own surprise when Hermione leaned into him, relaxing into his embrace. He felt an odd swooping sensation in his stomach and hurriedly looked around the Ministry atrium before he could recognize the feeling as pleasure.

"Malfoy!" cried a voice as soon as the family stepped out of the fireplace. Draco turned towards the voice, straining to see through the crowd of nicely dressed witches and wizards that crowded the atrium. At last his gaze rested on a tall black man who hurried forward and took Draco's hand in his. Draco shook his hand firmly, wondering who in Salazar's name this was. He looked familiar, but he couldn't place him.

"Good evening, Minister," said his mother from beside him. Draco gave a start. This man was Minister? What happened to Fudge?

"Call me Kingsley, Mrs. Malfoy, please!" the Minister said, releasing Draco's hand and bringing his mother's to his lips. She smiled and nodded. Then Kingsley turned to Hermione. "Hermione! How are you? Keeping this boy in line?" She blushed at his familiar question. Obviously this Kingsley knew them well. "And how are you fine little ladies?" he asked Naomi and Evanna.

Evanna smiled and buried her face in Narcissa's shoulder. Naomi beamed and curtsied. "Quite well, thank you," she said daintily. Kingsley chuckled.

"A little lady indeed! I'm glad to hear it." Then he turned back to Draco and Hermione. With a more serious tone, he said in a hushed voice, "And I don't believe a word of what the _Prophet_ or _Witch Weekly_ says about you, Hermione. It's in very bad taste that they brought it up at all, especially in light of the Memorial."

Out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw his mother purse her lips, as if she were angry for this Kingsley fellow for even mentioning it. Hermione blushed again, and Draco pulled her tighter to him. "Yes, well we appreciate it. We'll let you get back to your other guests now, Kingsley." With that he steered Hermione and Naomi away from him, Narcissa following closely behind.

"Very bad taste indeed!" Narcissa hissed. "It was very bad taste for Kingsley to even bring it up, in my opinion!"

"It doesn't matter," Hermione said weakly. "They'll be talking about it anyway." Narcissa huffed indignantly. Draco rolled his eyes. _Come on Mother, did you expect anything else?_

"Let's find a seat," Draco suggested, giving his mother something else to think about. As they walked towards a table near the front with their names on it, Draco whispered in Hermione's ear. "Did you know that Kingsley fellow? I kept thinking I knew him, but I couldn't remember his name. Shouldn't the dream have told me who he was?" He saw Hermione shiver as he pulled away from her neck and wondered what she would do if he kissed her there.

"I'm not sure," she answered, her voice sounding a bit breathy. "Maybe the potion is wearing off."

Draco felt an odd tug of disappointment. _Wait, what? Now I'm disappointed this is going to end? No, the sooner it ends, the better. I need to get away from this madness!_

Just as they went to sit down, a soft, airy voice floated towards them. "Hello Draco. Hello Hermione." Draco turned around to see Luna Lovegood standing behind them, wearing a ridiculous blue and silver gown with silver slippers that had curled toes. The dress had an inordinate amount of ruffles and large puffy sleeves. _Sweet Salazar, it's Loony Lovegood._

"Luna!" cried Hermione in a delighted voice. She stepped forward and enveloped the girl in a large hug. "It's so good to see you!" _Wait. Granger was friends with this weirdo? Why am I not surprised?_

Luna smiled dreamily. "It's good to see you too." She turned to Narcissa. "How are you Mrs. Malfoy?"

"Quite well, Luna, thank you," said his mother, matching Naomi's tone from earlier almost exactly. It was polite, but Draco could tell she slightly disapproved of Luna. _At last, there is some semblance of normalcy! _

"Lulu!" cried Evanna suddenly, struggling to get out of Narcissa's arms and into Luna's. Draco looked at his daughter with surprise. Naomi too, was smiling widely at Luna and already had hugged the girl's legs. Narcissa reluctantly gave Evanna to Luna, who hugged the little blonde girl tightly.

"Sit with us!" demanded Naomi, and Draco felt a surge of alarm. _No, no, no!_

Thankfully, Luna shook her head. "I'm going to sit with Neville, dear. The wrackspurts pester him horribly if I don't, you see." Draco stared at her and his daughters, both of whom were nodded serenely. _Oh no, do my daughters actually believe this nonsense?_ He glanced over at Hermione, who he was pleased to see was wearing a look of concern identical to his.

"There you are, Luna!" came another voice behind them. Everyone turned around to see Neville striding towards them. Draco could barely mask his disgust. _Idiot Longbottom, of course he'd be with Loony Lovegood._ "HelloMalfoys!" Neville said cheerily.

To his complete surprise, Narcissa greeted Neville warmly. "Hello, Neville, how are you?" Draco saw Hermione give a start of surprise too. _And there goes the normalcy._

"Great, thanks. I hope you are well too," Neville replied easily. He turned to Luna. "Dear, the ceremony is about to start. Should we find our seats?"

Luna nodded and set Evanna down. "Goodbye for now," she said. Neville nodded and then they were off. Draco noticed everyone else was making their way to their seats as well, so he ushered his girls towards the tables.

"Let's sit down now, girls," he said as he helpedEvanna into the high chair that had been provided for them. Hermione helped Naomi into the chair beside Narcissa before sitting down in her own. Draco slid into his chair beside Hermione just as the Minister stepped up to the podium.

The Minister held his wand up to his throat, magically magnifying his voice. "Welcome, friends and families. We are gathered here tonight to honor those brave and special people who gave their lives for the sake of peace. Without their sacrifice, we would not be here today. Throughout the War, their efforts inspired us to keep going, if only to avenge their names. I am proud to announce that through the collaborated efforts of the tireless individuals of the Wartime Remembrance Committee, we have amassed the names of each person who gave their life in War against Lord Voldemort, both magical and muggle."

Draco started as he felt Hermione's warm hand slid into his own. He looked over at her and noticed tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

The Minister continued. "Let us remember their sacrifice as we eat, and be thankful of what we have. Thank you, and enjoy your dinner. The unveiling ceremony will take place shortly after dessert." There was light applause as the Minister finished and stepped away from the podium. Draco looked down at the plate in front of him, which had magically filled with food after Kingsley finished speaking. Hermione squeezed his hand once before letting go. Draco again nodded to her reassuringly. _What was wrong with him? Comforting her? This dream world is getting way out of hand._

Draco turned his attention to the food on his plate, watching Hermione feed Evanna out of the corner of his eye. _She really took to the whole parent thing,_ he mused and turned back to his plate. The Ministry had gone all out on the dinner, serving every kind of dish imaginable. _Reminds me of the Yule Ball dinner,_ Draco thought. He smiled when it came time for dessert. Hermione groaned aloud when she took a bit of some decadent dark chocolate cake. _Wasn't that what Pansy told me to make her?_

The table cleared and the crowd fell silent as the Minister walked to the stage to speak again. "I would now like to ask a few people to the stage to assist in the unveiling of this grand monument. These young heroes were forced to face adulthood much sooner than most, and they stepped up to the challenge admirably, becoming beacons of inspiration to us all. Mr. Ronald Weasley, Miss Ginny Weasley, Mr. Neville Longbottom, Mrs. Luna Longbottom, Mr. Draco Malfoy, and Mrs. Hermione Malfoy. Could you step up to the stage please?"

Draco fell back in shock. _What? Me? A hero? No, this can't be right..._He jumped at the touch of Hermione's hand on his shoulder, her other hand wrapped firmly around his own hand, pulling him out of his chair. "Come with me," she whispered softly. Draco stood and followed her, mute with shock. Together they walked up to the stage, standing in line with Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna in front of the large veiled monument. As one, they all raised their wands and uncovered the black stone, covered in hundreds of names.

Applause sounded behind them and Draco looked dumbly at Hermione, who had tears streaming down her cheeks as she read the names, her eyes resting on one in particular. _Harry Potter._ The others had tears in their eyes as well. Ginny Weasley was openly weeping on her brother's shoulder. Draco thought he remembered some rumor about her being madly in love with Potter, who didn't seem to know she existed. _At least not in the real world._

A choked sob escaped Hermione's lips and Draco immediately pulled her into his arms and led her off the stage. _To hell with it. I'm not about to let her cry on her own. _He ignored the voice in his head telling him this was crazy, that a Malfoy would never comfort a mudblood, and that he would regret this later. Right now, Hermione needed him. The others followed behind them, returning to the crowd which had stood and dispersed into groups to grieve and reminisce with friends. _I must be mental_, Draco thought.

* * *

><p>Hermione struggled to regain her composure. <em>It's not real, it's not real, <em>she told herself, but the shock of seeing Harry's name on the monument proved to be too much. She had been too overcome to resist or even be surprised when Draco's arms first slid around her, but now, as they walked slowly back to their table, Hermione sighed and allowed herself to relax completely against him. _He's being so nice,_ she thought.

When they reached the table, Draco surprised her again by conjuring a small white handkerchief and offering it to her. "Oh!" she exclaimed softly. She smiled gratefully at him and took the handkerchief to wipe her eyes. When she pulled it away, she noticed the black smudges of her mascara on the once spotless cloth. She sniffed. "I've smeared my makeup," she said weakly.

Draco cupped her cheek with his hand. "It doesn't matter," he said, and gently wiped away a stray tear that had escaped her eye. Hermione's breath hitched. _He's doing it again. Who is this sweet Draco and where did he come from? And how can I get him to stay?_ Hermione leaned in and hugged him.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Draco stroked her back. "You're welcome," he said in a strange voice. Then he cleared his throat. "Let's go," he announced, both to Hermione and to the rest of his family. Narcissa nodded and helped Naomi and Evanna put on their cloaks.

"I've got the girls," she said. Hermione was grateful. She didn't want to leave Draco's side just yet. _What's wrong with me? _They made their way across the atrium, nodding to people along the way. Hermione saw many tear-stained faces besides her own. _Even now, the losses from the War are fresh and painful. What will it be like when this happens to us? Cedric was just the first. There will be many more, I know._ Not for the first time, Hermione wished things were different. _Why can't we just stay here? But here Harry is..._

Hermione's thoughts were interrupted by Evanna's shriek. "Won!" she cried, and pulled her hand from Narcissa's grasp, running straight for the tall redhead who was still holding his weeping sister. The two year old joyfully wrapped herself around Ron's legs and smiled up at him. He had a look of surprise on his face, but smiled down at Evanna before looking around for her parents.

Hermione left Draco's embrace and rushed to Ron's side. "Ron! I'm so sorry! She just saw you and took off running." He shrugged. "Evanna, sweetheart, you can't just go rushing off like that!" Evanna looked at her feet and hid behind Ron's legs. Hermione held out her arms. "Come here, honey."

About this time Ginny lifted her head from Ron's shoulder. Her eyes were full of pain and grief, and her wet cheeks were tinged pink. She saw Hermione holding her arms out and her face contorted with fury. "You!" she spat. Hermione looked at Ginny in shock at the venom in her voice and hurriedly picked up Evanna. "What do you want? Come to flaunt your happiness in front of Ron and I? Wasn't it enough that you married Harry's arch enemy? No. Now you have to stomp all over Ron's heart too!" Ginny's voice was raising in pitch and drawing a crowd. Hermione stared at her open-mouthed and put her hand on Evanna's head, holding her close to her chest as though shielding her from Ginny's words. _She's just distraught. She loved Harry. It's just the grief talking. She doesn't really mean it._

But Ginny continued, her rant in full swing now. "Oh no! Nothing's good enough for Hermione Granger! Not Victor Krum, the international quidditch star, not Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, not even Draco Malfoy, prince of the wizarding world! No! She has to crush my brother's heart too, and then flaunt her happiness, her wealth, and her fame in our faces!"

Hermione's face crumpled, and fresh tears welled up in her eyes. "No, no Ginny, that's not true! I love Harry and Ron, I would never do anything to hurt them!"

"So that's why you married Malfoy and left Ron hanging out to dry after the War? Because that didn't hurt Ron at all!" Ginny screeched. Ron looked stricken and tried to hush her, but she pushed him off. "No! Don't defend her, Ronald! She doesn't deserve it!"

Tears rolled down Hermione's cheeks. _NO! This isn't right, this isn't real, please make it stop..._

"What's going on here?" Draco's cold voice cut across the crowd, which parted to let him through to his wife. He came up behind Hermione and put his arms on her shoulders. "See here, Weasley, what are you carrying on about? Hermione is one of your friends! She would never do any of those things. She's got one of the biggest hearts of anyone I've ever met, and her loyalty to her friends is second only to the compassion she shows to everyone who needs it!"

Hermione choked on a sob and looked up at Draco in with shock and wonder in her eyes. _Does he really mean those things? Impossible. Draco would never say those things about me. But he has been so different here..._

"What would you know, Malfoy? You, you, you Death Eater's son!" Ginny screamed. The crowd and Hermione gasped. Draco's face darkened.

"Ginny, stop! Please, I can fix this!" Hermione pleaded. She stepped towards Ginny, but the girl turned away from her.

"NO YOU CAN'T! It's too late, Harry's d-dead..." Ginny broke down into terrible sobs and fled the scene. Ron looked over at Hermione and Draco helplessly, then ran after his sister. Hermione sniffed, her body wracking with near silent sobs. Draco's arms tightened around her, and Hermione turned to put her head on his shoulder.

"It's not real, Hermione," Draco gently reminded her.

Hermione shook her head. In her arms, Evanna was crying too. Hermione looked up at Draco. "Take me home?" she asked. _Please. Take me anywhere but here, and don't let me go._

Draco nodded, and led her back through the parted crowd to where Narcissa waited white-faced with a whimpering Naomi. _The Death Eater comment must have really shaken her up, _Hermione thought through her tears. _I wonder what happened to Lucius?_ She realized she had not seen Draco's malevolent father since she and Draco had woken up in this crazy world, but did not have the energy to analyze the fact.

She held on tightly to Draco has he directed her to a fireplace. Narcissa quickly joined them with Naomi and Draco threw down the floo powder. "Malfoy Manor!" he called firmly. Hermione closed her eyes and replaced the image of Ginny's grief-stricken face with Draco's defiant one as he defended her against Ginny's claims. _Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all._


	14. Chapter 14

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **As always, I want to thank everyone for reading! I get more and more alerts, favorites and reviews after every chapter, and it makes me so pleased. I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story so far. We're getting closer to the end now, only a few more chapters to go. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

When they arrived back at the Manor, Draco stumbled out of the fireplace with four weeping girls attached to either side of him. He didn't like weeping girls of any age, and was very quickly feeling awkward and nervous. The protectiveness he had felt for Hermione at the Ministry had slowly gone out of him and he was left wondering why he was holding her so tightly. _Blast this dream world,_ he thought angrily. _It's affecting my mind. I only defended Hermione because she's a Malfoy now, and no one messes with a Malfoy._ He nodded, trying to convince himself it were true. _But if that was the case, why did you comfort her on the stage?_ He growled in frustration and Hermione suddenly jerked in his arms, as though she had just realized what was happening.

She stepped away from him slowly, rocking Evanna in her arms as she did so. "S-sorry," she mumbled, blushing a little. With her free hand she reached up and wiped the tears from her face, smearing her already running mascara even more. Draco shrugged. It didn't matter. They were all feeling a little off tonight.

Draco turned away from Hermione and walked over to his mother. He held out his arms for Naomi, who was whimpering quietly in Narcissa's arms. "I'll take her, Mother," he said gently easing the little girl out of her arms. He eyed his mother's tear-streaked cheeks and frowned. "Are you alright, Mother?" In all his years, he could never once remember his mother crying. She had always remained cool, collected and above it all. _Father never allowed it,_ he thought. To show emotion was to be weak and gave enemies weapons against them. _And_ _Malfoys aren't weak._

Narcissa nodded and collected herself. She gave Draco a small smile. "Yes dear. I'll be fine. You go ahead and put the girls to bed. Don't worry about me."

He frowned again, but Hermione spoke before he could say anything in reply. She sounded weary as she spoke. "Very well. Narcissa, why don't you go to the kitchen? I'll make us all some tea when we come back. I think we could all use it." He watched his mother give Hermione an odd look for a moment before nodding. _Silly Gryffindor, Malfoys never eat in the kitchen and they don't make tea for themselves. That's what house elves are for._

He jumped as Hermione walked over to him and put her small hand in his and started leading them up the stairs. They passed the maid, Rilla, in the hallway, but Hermione waved her off. Draco felt oddly glad that she did. He enjoyed the way his little girl held on to him and dozed on his shoulder, completely trusting him. He didn't know anyone who treated him that way, and he found he quite liked it. _Look at me, now I'm going soft like a Gryffindor, depending on trust. It's ridiculous._

He followed Hermione into the powder blue room, the ceiling now depicting a starry night. "Naomi's room is just through that door," Hermione said. "Do you think you could change her into some pajamas and put her to bed?" She dropped his hand and cradled Evanna like a baby before gently laying her on the bed. He blinked and nodded. Then he disappeared through doorway, flicking his wand as he went so that a soft glow filled the room. It was green, and like Evanna's room, the ceiling was bewitched to show the night sky. Bookshelves lined the walls, crammed full with colorful children's books. Draco shook his head. _Just like her mother, I suppose. A know-it-all in the making._ He smirked as he considered the dark green décor and her green and silver dress. _A Slytherin know-it-all._

Mimicking Hermione, he cradled Naomi for a moment before gently laying her on her little four poster bed. She shifted and licked her lips, but didn't open her eyes. Draco almost hated to wake her up. He turned and started looking through her dresser drawers, searching for some suitable sleepwear. After some moments, he found a little blue night gown. "And here I was, expecting more green," he said quietly. He sat down on the bed beside her. "Naomi, sweetheart, wake up so Daddy and put your pajamas on," he said nudging the girl into a sitting position. He glanced around quickly, making sure Hermione wasn't listening. He felt rather foolish.

Naomi, it seemed, didn't want to cooperate. She whimpered and flopped around like a rag doll. Sighing, Draco pulled her party dress over her head and slipped the night gown down over her bushy hair. When her night gown was completely on, Draco pulled off the girl's stockings and shoes. Then he pulled back the covers and tucked her securely underneath them. "Good night, sweetheart," he whispered softly, and impulsively leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

He dimmed the lights with his wand and dashed from the room, going into Evanna's room only to find Hermione doing the same thing he had done only moments ago. She was kneeling beside Evanna's bed, stroking the little girl's blonde curls. "Mummy loves you, darling," she whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead. When she stood and faced Draco, he was surprised to see more tears in her eyes. _Not more crying,_ he pleaded silently. Hermione seemed to have the same idea, because she sniffed and wiped her eyes. "It's just hard sometimes, remembering they're not real," she explained.

Draco started. For a moment, he had almost forgotten that he didn't really have any children, and that Hermione was not his wife. _I really need to wake up soon. This is becoming a nightmare! _"Right," he said, not sure what else to say.

Hermione sighed and straightened up. "But that's ridiculous, isn't it? Come on, let's go down to the kitchen with your mum and have some tea." She laughed suddenly, causing Draco to look sharply at her. She shook her head. "I think Mrs. Weasley is starting to rub off on me," she said. Draco was confused.

"What?" he asked. _What on earth is she going on about?_

"It's the tea," Hermione explained, leaving Draco even more confused than ever. "Mrs. Weasley seems to think it is a cure for everything, and now I'm using it too." Draco shrugged. _I think we both need to go to sleep. Or rather, wake up,_ he thought. This whole mess was making his head hurt.

* * *

><p>As they walked into the kitchen, the sight of Narcissa Malfoy sitting at the small table in a bath robe made Hermione feel almost slap-happy. <em>This is completely mental, as Ron would say. I'm not sure it's possible for this dream world to get any stranger.<em> She paused in her thoughts for a moment and remembered how kind and attentive Draco had been all evening. _I take that back. Perhaps it already has._

She walked straight over to the stove, waving away the two house elves who appeared to help her and set about putting some water to boil. She found a few mugs in a cupboard and put the tea bags in each of them. "Draco, I know you don't, but do you take sugar with your tea, Narcissa?" she asked, ignoring Draco's stunned look. _You really should be used to it by now,_ she thought. Narcissa shook her head and Hermione took the water off the stove. She poured a generous amount in each mug and with a flick of her wand, levitated them to the table.

After plopping down into her chair without ceremony, she took a long sip of her tea and said, "What a night."

This seemed to diffuse the tension between the three of them, because Draco groaned and ran his hands through his hair while Narcissa sighed rather loudly. "Will it ever truly be behind us?" she asked suddenly. Hermione sat up straighter. _She's talking about the War._

"It's hard to say," she said slowly. "It was a huge part of our lives for so long." Draco said nothing, only stared blankly into his mug of tea.

Narcissa sniffed, and Hermione thought for a moment she would burst into tears. _Oh please no, _ she silently pleaded. She cast a worried glance at Draco, who was now watching his mother with concern. "It would have likely only made matters worse, but I wish Lucius could have been there tonight," Narcissa said finally.

Hermione glanced at Draco. _What should I say? I don't know if he's alive or dead. Saying the wrong thing could send her into hysterics._ Hermione actually doubted this last thought. Narcissa Malfoy did not seem to be the type of woman bent on hysterics. Instead of saying anything, she reached across the table and squeezed Narcissa's hand.

Narcissa gave her a weak smile. "I know it's hard on both of you," she said. Hermione desperately wished Narcissa would continue, since the dream world didn't seem to be helping at the moment and Hermione had absolutely no idea what Narcissa was talking about. Luckily, she continued. "I know what my husband has done, and I know what he is. He is selfish, arrogant, prejudiced, and can be malicious to those who stand in his way. I know he deserves his sentence in Azkaban, but Merlin help me, I love him." Hermione was trying to cover the shock on her face. Draco was sitting rigidly in his seat, listening to his mother pour her heart out. Hermione got the feeling that this didn't happen often, if ever. "Lucius would not have enjoyed tonight, I know, but just to have his presence at my side would have been a comfort, and would have shown the world that he has moved on."

"Has he?" Hermione blurted suddenly, unable to help herself. _Could it really be possible? Lucius Malfoy, asking for forgiveness?_

Narcissa looked at her sadly. "Not exactly. Lucius still holds very tightly to his pureblood beliefs. I'm afraid he may never accept you, dear." She looked over at Draco, who was still sitting rigidly in his chair. "I'm sorry Draco, that your father cannot see past this prejudice. I know he cares for you, but his pride is all he has left."

Draco jerked in his chair. "A lot of good it's done him," he said darkly. Narcissa looked stricken. Hermione had a sinking feeling. _This tea isn't working._

"It's his loss," she announced loudly, causing both Draco and Narcissa to turn and stare at her. _Perhaps I didn't need to shout that bit,_ she thought, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "I'm just glad we have you, Narcissa. The girls adore you." Narcissa smiled, the tension leaving her face. Draco simply stared at Hermione as if she had grown a second head. _Okay, I think it's time for bed,_ Hermione thought. She stared down at her now empty mug. "I think I've had enough excitement for one night," she said in a softer voice. She stood to leave. "I hope you feel better, Narcissa," she said. The blonde woman smiled and nodded. Hermione turned to Draco. He seemed to be in some state of shock, and Hermione needed to talk to him. Shocking him some more might do the trick. "Are you coming to bed, dearest?" she said, trying not to blush at her words.

It worked. Draco jerked his head up so fast Hermione thought he'd give himself whip lash. "What?" he said, then caught sight of Hermione's face. "Oh. Yes, _darling,_ I'll be up in a moment." Hermione gave him a satisfied smile and left the room. _The look on his face! _ Hermione grinned gleefully, despite her rather emotionally trying day. Even after everything that had happened so far, it was still strange to talk to Malfoy politely, and to be _lovey-dovey _with him was even stranger. Still, it made for a lot of fun teasing.

She headed to her room to change out of her evening gown into something more comfortable. She was tempted to slip into the bath again, but decided it could wait. She needed this talk with Draco, especially when she didn't know when they could be woken up. She felt it must be soon, considering how they had been forgetting things that earlier they would have somehow remembered, like the bit about Lucius. _The potion is losing potency. It's working itself out of our systems. Either that, or we're being administered an antidote that is slowly waking us up._

As she slipped out of her dress and into a modest silk night gown, Hermione reminisced about the day. It had been full of surprises. First there had been that horrendous article about Hermione's supposed "affair," then Narcissa had pampered her, and then she went on an actual date with Draco. _Gods, the date,_ Hermione thought, wringing her hands. The date had been the most surprising of all, turning all her views about Draco on their head and completely blindsiding her with his kiss. Worst of all, Hermione had _enjoyed_ it.

But was that so bad, really? She blushed and hastily amended her thoughts. _Slow down, Hermione. It's a bit soon to be wanting to snog the daylights out of him, no matter how compassionate he's been today. It's all a dream._ She shook her head, releasing her curled hair from it's pins and letting it fall down over her shoulders. _I wish I could keep my hair like this when I wake up, it's must more manageable, _she thought idly. Then the rest of her thoughts caught up with her. _Wait. Did I just use the phrase, "snog the daylights out of him?"_ She pinched the bridge of her nose. _I really need to go to sleep. _She looked up, put on a determined face, and marched over to the bedroom she and Draco had first woken up in. _No. I am talking to Draco first. I need to know. _Her tiredness from earlier vanished.

She made her way over to the bed, realizing with a sinking feeling, that there were no chairs in the room. Reluctantly she sat on the bed. Footsteps sounded in the hallway and Hermione jumped up. No, the bed was not a good place to have this conversation. She paced at the foot of the bed for a few moments, then mentally slapped herself. "_Are you a witch or not?"_ Ron's words from first year came rushing back to her, and she smiled as she waved her wand and transfigured two of the pillows into to comfortable armchairs. Then, feeling a bit nervous, she sank into the nearest chair to wait for Draco.

* * *

><p>Draco strode into the bedroom, looking for Hermione. He had discarded his outer robes and untucked his shirt. His hair was mussed from having ran his hands through it multiple times that evening, and he was in no mood to talk. He hoped whatever Hermione wanted would be quick. He spotted Hermione right away and immediately bit back a curse. The damn girl was wearing a thin silk night gown. It was modest and showed no untoward amount of skin or cleavage, but the fact that she was wearing it proved that she was entirely too comfortable in his presence. And the fact that he didn't mind that she was wearing it proved that he need to get out of this dream world and back into reality as soon as possible.<p>

Steeling his nerves, he flung himself into the chair across from Hermione, causing her to jump. He didn't wait for her to speak. "So? What is it you want to talk about?"

Hermione opened and closed her mouth several times before speaking. She seemed to be at a loss of what to say. _Incredible. The know-it-all is finally speechless._ But when she finally did speak, any hope that this would be a quick, painless conversation flew out the window. Draco mentally groaned. "Draco, we need to talk about what happened today. Between us. We need to talk about what happened, and how it changes things."

"What do you mean? It changes nothing, Granger," Draco growled out. He would not succumb to this bleeding Gryffindor, especially not the resident know-it-all.

Hermione's eyes flashed. "Don't you start that again, Draco Malfoy! How can you say it changes nothing? You can't deny that we _felt_ something today, something different! And I want to know what it is."

Now it was Draco's eyes that flashed. _Oh no. You will not tell me off this time, Granger._ "Other than a new level of loathing, I don't know what is so different about today, Granger."

"Hermione! Dammit Draco, call me Hermione! Oh, and loathing, is it? So do you make a habit of kissing those whom you, what was it, feel a _new level of loathing_ for?" Hermione had jumped up from her chair, her eyes blazing and her cheeks a dark shade of pink. Draco stood too, refusing to look up at her. _How dare she bring up the kiss now? Wouldn't even mention once earlier, but now that she can hold it over my head, she brings it up._

"How very Slytherin of you, _Hermione_. Holding a moment of weakness over my head to gain the upper hand. What would your fellow Gryffindors say?" he sneered, knowing that was only going to provoke her further. He was right. She bristled immediately.

"What? Is that what you think? That I'm resorting to low-level Slytherin tactics to get the best of you? Well, I assure you I have no need for that. A moment of weakness? So it was a mistake?" Hermione's eyes were flashing with hurt and anger now. She stepped closer to Draco, who backed away. _Damn Granger and those expressive eyes. She couldn't just be typically pretty, like other girls, or even better, plain ugly. No, Granger has to make you look twice, and once you find her beauty it __practically dazzles you, like her intelligence._

"Yes," he cried coldly. _No, it wasn't. It was the best part of the day._

Hermione's face fell for a moment, but she recovered quickly. She glared at Draco and marched up to him, putting precious few inches between them. Something that could have been nerves, excitement or anticipation coiled in Draco's stomach and he took a sharp breath. Hermione's shoulders were heaving, she looked absolutely livid. She put up a finger and pointed at Draco. "You!" she sputtered, clenching her fists. "Why do you always have to be such a, a..." She paused for a moment, searching for a word. "Arrgh! Why are you such a prat, Malfoy?"

Draco smirked. _Back to using last names are we, Granger?_ "I thought we agreed to call each other by our first names, _Hermione._" Her eyes darkened and Draco felt a surge of satisfaction go through him. _This must be why Weasley fights with her so much. Who wouldn't want to see those eyes flashing like that?_

"Don't even try that, _Draco_," Hermione spat, her voice dripping with false sweetness when she uttered his name. "You started it." She spun away from him and Draco felt a brief stab of disappointment.

"You're the one who wanted to talk," Draco said petulantly.

Hermione threw up her arms in exasperation. "See? That is exactly what I'm talking about. Gods, you are such a child!" Draco smirked as she crossed her arms in a huff. She was so worked up the air around her practically crackled with energy, and he was sure her hair was starting to stand on end. Suddenly Hermione looked up, her eyes filled with some emotion Draco didn't recognize. He wasn't sure wanted to either. "Was it really a mistake?" she asked. "Was it really so horrible for you, kissing me?"

Alarm filled Draco at this sudden shift in conversation, and to his horror, he found himself blurting out, "No."

Hermione looked up at him, her eyes wide. _Damn, damn, damn! Stop looking at me like that, Granger! _She stepped closer. _No, no, don't come any closer, curse you!_ "Really?" she whispered. _Sweet Salazar. Hermione Granger is seducing me in my bedroom, and it's working._

Draco swallowed hard, desperately trying to fight the growing desire to kiss her again, just to prove it wasn't a mistake. Hermione was watching him carefully.

"I know you can be a gentleman, Draco. You can be sweet and kind and considerate, and somehow still retain your ridiculous Malfoy airs." She laughed softly at the last bit. "Why do you hide the best part of you, Draco?"

"Just because I've never shown it to you before doesn't mean I haven't used it with my friends," he said, his voice regaining some of its coldness. He had to save the situation, get back on equal footing, and get rid of this absurd notion of kissing her. She cocked her head to the side, as if trying to find the riddle in his statement.

"So do you consider me a friend then?" she asked.

Her question caught him off guard. "I—I don't know," he said honestly. Perhaps honesty was the best policy. Sometimes.

To his surprise, she laughed. "I don't think I do either. I'm confused, Draco. For five years you've done nothing but treat me and my friends like dirt, and then we fall into this this dream and you still treat me like dirt for the most part, except then suddenly you transform into this sweet, considerate gentleman and I think I—I think I might like you, Draco." She looked into his eyes, her cheeks pink from her confession and their argument, wringing her hands.

_Just tell her, Draco. What can it hurt?_ Draco remained silent for a few moments, staring at the floor. When he was ready, he lifted his gaze to hers. "I think," he began, then shook his head and paced across the floor a bit. He stopped suddenly and walked over to her. _I must be mental,_ he thought. "I think that I might," he paused a bit, choking on the words. His eyes roamed her face and frequented her lips more than once. _Damn you for looking so kissable, Granger. _"I think I might like you too, Hermione." Her breath caught.

"Then what..." she started, but Draco put a finger to her lips. "No more questions." He studied her face and slid his hand to cup her cheek. "I'm going to kiss you now, Hermione," he said, leaning forward. _Stop me Granger, push me away!_ Her breath hitched again, and instead of pushing him away, she leaned in just a fraction and met Draco's lips with her own.

It was a sweet kiss, like their first, only this time both of them knew it was coming and their lips seemed to press silent questions to each other. _Do I want this? Is it okay?_ It went on for a few moments before they both broke away. Hermione looked at Draco, her eyes full of questions. _Questions I don't want to answer,_ he thought wryly.

It was Hermione who spoke first. "Now there's no denying it. There is _something_ between us now, Draco. Question is, what are we going to do about it?" Draco was taken aback by her matter-of-fact tone. Her eyes and cheeks were still unnaturally bright, but that was the only indication that she had just been eagerly kissing him. _Eagerly? I think you're exaggerating, Draco,_ his mind teased.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Hermione gave him an exasperated look, one he'd seen her give Potter and Weasley multiple times. He resented it. "I mean, what are we going to do about it once we wake up? Surely you don't intend on going back to treating me the same way you used to, calling me mudblood and all that nonsense? I'll know it's fraud, you know."

Draco rolled his eyes. _What, does she think I'm going to continue this lovey-dovey crap when we wake up? Though I wonder what it would be like to actually kiss her, not just in a dream...this is so messed up._ "It's not like we're best mates now, Hermione. And besides, we might not even remember this once we wake up." _I hope._

Hermione's face fell a bit. "I hadn't thought of that." Draco smirked smugly. "But what if we do? What will you do then? I don't think I can go back hating you like I used to."

Draco scowled. _Why does she had to be so pushy? Well, you did just kiss her, I suppose I'm wondering where that could go too._ "I don't think I could either, Hermione." Her face lit up. "But that does mean I'm going to start hanging out with you in the library or taking you out to Hogsmeade like, like a..."

"Couple?" Hermione supplied. Draco glared at her. _Right, just because I kissed you twice and think you have lovely eyes doesn't mean I think we should get together._

"Yeah. This doesn't magically fix our relationship from the past five years," he warned her. She laughed, much to his consternation.

"Believe me, Draco. However much I've enjoyed our two kisses, I don't think I'm quite ready to become your girlfriend either," Hermione spun away from him and flung herself on the bed, causing her hair to splay out wildly on either side of her head. _How in the hell did this happen? Are Granger and I really talking about dating right now?_ He snorted.

"Wait, you enjoyed our kisses?" Draco said suddenly, realizing what she said. Hermione blushed.

"Oh hush, like you didn't enjoy them too," she said, but wouldn't quite meet his eyes. A smile played about Draco's lips. _Oh yes I did,_ he thought. He sunk into the nearest chair.

After a few minutes of companionable silence, Draco spoke. "We'll have to pretend like nothing's changed," he said. Hermione rolled on her stomach and propped her head up on her elbows.

"What?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

Draco scowled. "Now whose playing daft? If we're going to try this," he said, gesturing between them, "then we're to have to pretend like nothing's changed when we're in public. Because unlike this magical dream world, I highly doubt reality will be as accepting if we suddenly started behaving too friendly towards each other."

Hermione snorted. "Harry and Ron would probably explode."

Draco smirked. "Maybe I ought to try grabbing your ass sometime when I pass you in the hallway, just to see them squirm."

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "Draco Malfoy, you wouldn't!" Draco smirked. _Oh, but I most certainly would._ She flopped back on the bed. "This is completely mental, you know that? We're actually flirting right now."

Draco gave her a mischievous grin. "Absolutely. It's all a dream though. Keep telling yourself that, and you'll get by."

"You're incorrigible." Hermione threw a pillow at him. Draco laughed. Hermione was silent for a moment, staring at the ceiling. "Gods, what a day," she finally said, her voice thick with emotion.

Draco regarded for for a moment. _She's still upset over what happened at the Ministry. _He decided to go out on a limb. "Weaselette didn't mean it, you know," he said casually. Hermione took a sharp breath and stared at him.

"I know. Didn't make it hurt any less though." She stared at him for a moment more, making Draco feel a bit uncomfortable. "Did you mean it?" she asked.

"What are you talking about?" he said, feigning ignorance. _She's talking about how I defended her at the Ministry. Did I mean it? I don't know. It just came out._

"When you defended me to Ginny. Did you mean it?" Hermione clarified, her brown eyes watching him intently. He wouldn't be able to lie, he knew.

"Yes," he said with a sigh. "Damn it all, yes. It's true, isn't?"

Hermione beamed at him and Draco felt that swooping sensation from earlier in his stomach. He liked it when she smiled at him. "That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said about me," she said with feeling.

Draco grunted. "Yeah, well it was nothing."

Hermione simply smiled at him again and repeated her words from earlier when she had thanked him after their date. "Not to me."

They fell silent again. Draco replayed the events of the day in his mind, ending on their conversation from the last hour. _Have I really agreed to be friends with Granger?_ An odd feeling rose up in his stomach. _Yes. Yes I did, and I'm looking forward to it,_ he realized with a jolt. He looked over at Hermione to see what she was thinking about, but saw that she had fallen asleep. He snorted softly. _Granger's in my bed again. How odd that sounds! _He watched her chest rise and fall slowly as she slept, and he wondered if she were dreaming. Could you dream in a dream? It was all rather confusing. He shifted in his chair, suddenly too tired to move. It wasn't like he could get into his bed anyway, not with Hermione in it. _Yes, it's odd to think of Granger being in my bed. But not as odd as wanting her there, _Draco thought sleepily. He summoned a pillow to him and put it on the arm of his chair. As he drifted off, his last thought was of Hermione, telling him she had enjoyed their kisses.


	15. Chapter 15

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **We are very close to the end now, my readers! Only two or three more chapters, I think. Draco and Hermione are still fighting their attraction to each other, but are working fairly well together. Let me know what you think! Thank you as always for reading, reviewing, favoriting and putting this story on alert! It means a lot! :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

Hermione was dreaming. She dreamed Professor Snape was standing over her, berating her for falling asleep. Then Harry was there, telling her if she didn't wake up soon, she would be behind in studying for her O.W.L.S. Finally, Ron was there, awkwardly patting her hand before Madame Pomfrey came in and shooed him away so she could give Hermione a dark blue potion. It smelled foul, and Hermione turned up her nose at it. "Don't make me drink it, Madame Pomfrey," Hermione mumbled and threw an arm over her face.

A loud snort jolted her into wakefulness. Hermione looked around, confused for a moment that she wasn't in the Hospital Wing. She rolled over on the silk sheets she was laying on towards the source of the snort. Draco Malfoy was curled up like a cat in a squashy green arm chair, hugging a large black pillow. The events of the past two days came rushing back to her and she laughed out loud, startling Malfoy. He jumped and fell to the floor for the second morning in a row, cursing as he fell. "Damnit Hermione!" He scowled up at her from his spot on the floor. "Still here, are we?" he asked.

Hermione smothered another laugh. "It appears so," she said, suddenly feeling entirely too chipper for early morning. Draco seemed to agree with this.

"Are we ever going to get back to reality?" he asked grumpily. He pushed himself up from the floor and jerkily straightened his shirt.

Hermione's smile faded and she frowned. "I don't know," she said slowly to Draco's back as he crossed the room and entered the adjoining bathroom. "I thought the potion would be out of our system by now. I mean, we've been here for two days!" In the bathroom, Draco grunted, which was apparently all the conversation she was going to get out of him at the moment. She snorted. _Just like Harry and Ron, _she thought. A twinge of sadness stole through her at the thought of Harry, but she pushed it aside. That was in this dream world. Harry would be fine, if she would just wake up. _If I would just wake up._

"Draco," Hermione said suddenly. He poked his head out of the bathroom door giving her an annoyed look. The effect however was mostly wasted with a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Do you want to try brewing a potion today? I can't guarantee it will work, but it's worth a try." She looked up when she heard a spitting noise. Draco had disappeared into the bathroom again and came out wiping his mouth on a towel.

"Yes. Father has a potions lab downstairs. We could use that," he said.

Hermione perked up. "You have your own personal potions lab?" Draco gave her a look. She rolled her eyes. _Of course the Malfoys have their own personal lab. Probably for brewing poisons. _Breathing deeply through her nose, Hermione tried to remember the somewhat reluctant truce they had called. She was still confused about the whole thing, especially Draco's kisses. _What exactly are my feelings for Draco now?_ She shook her head. It was too complicated to think about now. _But if I don't think about it now, I may never have another chance._

"Great! You can take me down there after breakfast, and we'll get started," Hermione said brightly. Draco scowled but nodded. Apparently he was still grumpy, and Hermione's chipper mood wasn't helping any. She jumped out of bed and left the room without another word, heading for her luxurious bathroom. As she slid into the warm water of the bath tub, Hermione once again reflected on how much she would miss this bathroom. Then the absurdity of this idea struck her and she laughed out loud. _Imagine, me missing a bathroom,_ Hermione thought giddily.

She dressed quickly in a simple pink t-shirt and jeans and then practically skipped to the kitchen for some breakfast. When she arrived, Draco was already there, nursing a cup of tea. Still feeling giddy, she smiled at him, which earned her a scowl. "Why are you so bloody happy this morning?" Draco growled. Hermione gave him an amused smile as she considered the question.

_Why am I so happy this morning? _She couldn't think of an adequate answer. "Must be the hormones," she said, setting herself down in the chair opposite Draco. Immediately the busy house elves came to attend her and brought her a cup of tea and some buttered toast. Hermione bit into it hungrily. She noticed Draco wasn't eating anything. "Aren't you going to eat some breakfast?" she asked, taking another bite of her toast.

Draco shrugged. "Not hungry," he answered. Hermione frowned, wondering at his sullen tone. _I wonder if he's upset about last night?_

She reached across the table to touch his arm. "Are you alright?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Draco jerked his arm away from hers. Hurt flashed across Hermione's face, but she masked it quickly. "I'm just tired," he mumbled.

Some of Hermione's cheerfulness ebbed away, but she smiled anyway. "Well, that's probably my fault," she said. Draco jerked his head up to look at her with confusion. "You've had to sleep on chairs for the past two nights because of me. It's no wonder you're tired." He shook his head, but a small smile tugged at his lips. Hermione relaxed. "I think I'm ready to get started now, if you are. Perhaps we can be out of here by—oh!" She stood up suddenly and Draco watched her anxiously.

"What is it?" he asked. Hermione ignored him.

Instead, she called over one of the house elves. "Could you please inform Rilla that we would like to have a family lunch today? Tell her to have the girls ready at noon." The house elf bowed and started to walk away, but Hermione had another thought. "Oh, and let Narcissa know she is welcome to stay, if she likes."

"Of course, Mistress Hermione," the house elf said with a small bow. Hermione smiled.

"Thank you." She turned to Draco, who was looking at her oddly. "What?" Hermione said, feeling a little self-conscious. "I want to have at least one more memory of the girls before I leave," she said quietly. Draco looked stunned. He silently studied her for a few moments, causing a blush to rise in her cheeks.

Abruptly he looked away. "Come on then," he said, motioning for her to follow him. "We'd best get started." Hermione jumped up to follow him, glad to have something to do. Her mind had been wandering egregiously while Draco was studying her. _Does he like what he sees? He must, otherwise he wouldn't have kissed me, right?_

She followed him down a small set of stairs to the basement. Eyeing the stonework curiously, Hermione put a hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles. The room Draco was taking her to looked remarkably like the Hogwarts dungeons. "Professor Snape would feel right at home here," she said aloud. Draco stopped and turned around, an incredulous look on his face. Hermione bit her lip, her laughter threatening to spill out at any moment. Draco glanced around, then looked back at Hermione. His face broke out in a smile.

"Yeah, I reckon he would," he said. Hermione lost it.

"I'm—so—sorry," she choked out between her giggles. "I don't—know—why—that's so—funny." She put a hand over her stomach and took a deep breath. "Let's get to work. I'm sure I will feel better once I have something to focus on." She marched past Draco, who was watching her with an amused smile and went straight to a large worktable. _"Accio purse!"_ she cried, waving her wand. "I left all my notes in there. I never had time to take them out after our date," she explained, turning a bit pink. Draco nodded and looked away. _Why is he acting so odd this morning?_ Hermione wondered.

The purse came sailing in the room seconds later and Hermione immediately went about retrieving her notes and setting up her workstation. "If my calculations are correct," she began.

"And they always are," Draco cut in mockingly. She gave him a stern look.

"This should be our antidote. But since we will be taking it in our dream state, I'm not sure it will work. I'm hoping that our conscious will believe it is real and cause our body to react accordingly." Hermione frowned, reading over her notes a third time.

Draco leaned over her shoulder, causing Hermione's heart to flutter wildly. _This is ridiculous. I can't be getting nervous or distracted while doing this._ "Do you have all these ingredients?" she asked, shoving the list at him.

Draco backed away. Suddenly he gave her a smug smirk. _There's the Draco I know, _Hermione thought, oddly relieved at his return to normal behavior. "Of course," he said. "We're Malfoys, Hermione. We have everything."

Hermione gave him a look. "Oh really? Then you won't mind going to your stores and fetching _all_ the ingredients?" Draco's smirk never left his face as he spun on his heel and swaggered over to the storage cupboard to get everything.

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><p><em>Why do I even open my mouth sometimes?<em> Draco thought in annoyance. _Honestly. "We're Malfoys, Hermione. We have everything." What kind of prat am I?_ He frowned as he sorted through the potions cupboard. While it certainly looked well-stocked, Draco had no idea if everything they needed would be in there. He was't even sure how often the lab was used. His mother, he knew often made various cosmetic potions, but other than that, he had no idea who used the lab. He conjured up a small tray to put the growing pile of ingredients he was gathering on and searched in vain for the rest. He groaned and felt a headache coming on.

Hermione wasn't wrong to feel concerned about him. Draco couldn't exactly explain it, but he felt..._odd_. Pleading exhaustion seemed like the best excuse. _At least Hermione bought it._

Taking one last look through the cupboard, he sighed in disgust. _Damn. Now I know the reason for that look Hermione gave me earlier._ He turned around and walked back over to the table Hermione had prepared for brewing.

"Did you find everything?" she asked sweetly and much too innocently. Draco decided to feign ignorance.

"Of course, didn't I say I would?" he said confidently. He struggled to conceal his smirk when Hermione's smug face faltered.

"Really?" she asked, sounding a bit put out. _Serves you right for trying to best me, Granger,_ Draco thought. She looked completely disappointed. Something akin to guilt tugged at Draco's conscience. _What on earth...oh, curse this pesky Gryffindor for making me feel like this!_

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes. "No, Hermione, I didn't find everything. But you already know that, don't you? So where is it?" he demanded, his exasperation with her and himself coming through.

Hermione's eyes opened comically wide for a moment, then she laughed, much to Draco's consternation. _This giddy mood of hers is starting to irritate me,_ he thought. She whirled around, rummaged in her purse for a few minutes, then triumphantly pulled out a small vial full of little purple petals. "Mandrake petals," she said, looking pleased. "I picked them on our date," she said cheerfully. Draco's stomach twinged. _Right. I remember that. In the Conservatory, where you held my hand and smiled warmly at me..._

"Of course you did," Draco said, but it was in a teasing tone. Hermione smiled.

"Right then, shall we get started? I'll start on the base if you will start chopping up those roots," Hermione said, already turning to the cauldron. Draco gave a mock bow, which caused her to throw him stern look before getting back to work. Draco shook his head. _What is wrong with me now? Just a minute ago I was ready to strangle her for smiling too much, and now I'm flirting with her. Maybe I am just over tired._

They worked in relative silence after that, each absorbed in their own tasks. As Draco carefully stirred the potion thirteen times counter-clockwise, Hermione suddenly exclaimed, "Why aren't we lab partners more often, Draco? It's such a relief to be working with someone who knows what they're doing!"

Draco laughed. "I would think the reason was obvious, Hermione. We used to hate each other."

She turned to him and gave him a very serious look. "I never hated you, Draco. I don't hate anyone. True, I thought you were thoroughly unpleasant and I never went out of my way to be nice to you, but I had always assumed it was your upbringing that made you such a prat."

Draco looked stunned. He couldn't believe it. _Is she really that good?_ "But there must be someone you hate. What about Professor Snape? He's always horrible to you and your friends, and what about that comment he made about your teeth in fourth year?" Hermione flushed.

"Thanks for reminding me of that," she said through gritted teeth. _Smooth move, Malfoy,_ Draco chided himself. "But no. Professor Snape may be horrible to us Gryffindors, but I respect him as a teacher." Draco snorted. _Of course the know-it-all would respect the most hated man in school because he's a teacher._

"Well how about the Dark Lord?" asked Draco. "Surely you hate him."

Hermione blanched. "I—I'm not sure. I dislike him, certainly. I'm afraid of him, of course. But I'm not sure I _hate_ him."

This time Draco's mouth dropped open in complete shock. "Are you serious?"

Hermione's brow furrowed. "Hate is such a strong emotion, Draco. I'm sure Voldemort deserves it, but I'm not sure I feel that way yet." Draco flinched at the use of the Dark Lord's name.

"So you really don't hate _anyone_?" Draco asked._ It's impossible._

Hermione considered the question. An odd look suddenly crossed her face, one that might have been maniacal glee, if Draco had to name it. "I might hate Umbridge," she said. "That toad of a woman really is horrible."

Draco couldn't help but laugh at that. "But Hermione," he said with mock seriousness, "She's a _teacher_. Surely she deserves your respect?"

Hermione's pale face immediately screwed up into a mask of fury. "That woman deserves about as much _respect_ as a dead flobberworm, and not even that, because at least flobberworms are useful!" she spat vehemently.

_Wow. Such a fiery thing, isn't she?_ Draco thought in admiration. "Well, as long as we know how you feel," he said in the same teasing tone. Hermione sighed, letting all the anger slide away.

"Shut up," she said, turning back to the potion. Draco snorted and went back to his own work. _Who knew working with Hermione could be so fun?_ Again they lapsed back into comfortable silence as they worked. No one said anything until Hermione gave a satisfied sigh, happily stirring the potion that had been simmering for the last few minutes. "That should do it," she said. Draco peered into the cauldron.

"Uh, is it supposed to be that color?" Draco asked doubtfully. The potion was almost neon green in color, with small puffs of green steam rising out of it every few seconds.

Hermione wrinkled her nose. "I know, ghastly isn't it? But yes, that is the correct color. Remember, Neville's potion was that awful hot pink color? The antidote compliments it."

_We have to drink that?_ "If you say so." Draco looked over at Hermione. Her face was pale and she had a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead. "Are you alright, Hermione?" he asked, his concern mimicking hers from earlier. She swayed a bit where she stood.

"What? Hmm? Oh, um, yes, I—I'm fine. It's just late morning sickness, I think. The smell of the potion must be triggering it." Hermione took a deep breath through her mouth. Draco took an involuntary step back. _I don't want her throwing up on me._

"Are you sure?" he asked doubtfully. Hermione looked ill. _When had she started looking like that? Why didn't I notice?_ _What would happen if Hermione got really sick in a dream? Would her real body get sick too?_ His own discomfort from earlier was forgotten as he contemplated Hermione's illness. She must have seen his concern, because she smiled reassuringly.

"Really, Draco, I'm fine. I think it must be the pregnancy. Remember after we apparated? It kind of feels like that. I've read that certain smells can make you sick when you're pregnant, so it must be the potion. I'll be fine in a moment, I'm sure." She took another deep breath through her mouth. Draco frowned, not fully convinced. Hermione looked worse now than she had after apparating. This had to be something else. But she would know best, he figured. _Right?_

"Should we drink it then?" he asked, gesturing towards the cauldron. Hermione glanced at the green potion, disgust and another emotion flitting across her face. _Was that disappointment?_

She hesitated. "Um, perhaps we could wait to drink it until after lunch?" Hermione said timidly. _What? Prolong this nightmare? Why? _Hermione saw his face and quickly continued. "It's just that, I want to say goodbye to the girls," she said in a rush. Draco felt all the anger that had been building up in him upon hearing Hermione wanted to wait go out of him like air from a balloon. Hermione bit her lip, watching him anxiously. _How could he say no to that? Besides, he'd like to say goodbye too._

"Alright," Draco said finally. Hermione's eyes lit up and she threw her arms around him before he could react. His breath caught, remembering the last time she had thrown her arms around him. _Don't think about that, Draco!_

"Oh, thank you Draco! I'll never call you ferret-boy again!" she cried joyously. Draco stared at her.

"I'm holding you to that," he said, her obvious joy bringing a smile to his lips. _How did it come to this? I actually enjoy spending time with her._

"Alright," said Hermione, releasing him. Draco felt disappointed when she let go. "But I haven't forgotten our conversation from last night." _Neither have I,_ thought Draco ruefully. "I'm sure I'll be able to come up with some promising new insults other than ferret-boy for our public encounters. I make no promises about Harry and Ron though." Draco snorted.

"I can handle Potty and Weasel," Draco said. Hermione rolled her eyes at the use of his nicknames for Harry and Ron and slipped her hand into his. _It feels right there,_ Draco thought, struggling to hide a smile of pleasure. _If only Pansy could see me now!_

"I'm still going to stick up for my friends, you know," she informed him.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Draco answered honestly. Hermione smiled at him.

"Good." Her smile grew wider and she suddenly giggled. "Look at us! Can you actually believe we're going to be friends?" Draco snorted in amusement. _No, I don't think I'll ever get used to it. Neither that nor the idea that I think I fancy the pants off you._

"No," he said simply. Hermione smiled and dropped his hand for a moment. She walked over to the potion, dipped out two vials of it and slipped them into her pocket.

"There," she said. "We can take it after lunch is finished." Draco nodded.

"Shall we go to lunch, wife?" he asked, gallantly offering his arm to her. Hermione dipped into a sort of curtsy and smiled, a blush coloring her pale cheeks. _She still looks ill,_ Draco thought.

"Yes please, husband," she answered, hooking her arm through his. Draco's stomach gave a small flutter. _Will it be like this when we wake up? Do I want it to be?_

"Then allow me to escort you, Mrs. Malfoy," Draco said, leading Hermione up the stairs. The blush on her cheeks darkened and again Draco felt this stomach lurch. _Would he remember all this when he woke up? Did he want to forget?_ Smiling softly at her blush, Draco suddenly wasn't so sure anymore.


	16. Chapter 16

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **I just want to say thanks again for reading. I'm getting some really lovely reviews and it means the world to me. Hope this chapter lives up to everyone's expectations.

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><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

Hermione was blushing madly on Draco's arm. The giddiness she had woken up with now had her feeling a bit feverish. She clutched Draco's arm in hers tightly and allowed herself to lean on him. To her surprise, he didn't flinch away. _This is nice,_ she thought, dreamily picturing the two of them walking the halls of Hogwarts together. Maybe she could arrange so they had to do their prefect rounds together. _No one would have to know she wanted it that way..._

When she realized Draco was taking her a different route than she had been using to get to the kitchen, she questioned him. "Where are we going, Draco?"

He gave her an odd look that clearly meant Hermione was missing something. "We're going to the dining room," he said, as though it were obvious. Hermione snorted inwardly. _Duh, Hermione. Stop daydreaming and try to focus._ Draco suddenly smirked, as though he'd read her mind. "You didn't think we would eat in the kitchen, did you?" Hermione carefully schooled her face not to show any emotion. Draco grinned. "You did! Hermione, this is Malfoy _Manor._ We eat in the dining room."

"It was a perfectly logical mistake," Hermione sniffed, causing Draco to grin wider. _At least I can amuse him,_ she thought wryly. "We haven't eaten in the dining room once since I've been here, only in the kitchen. What would you expect?"

"Not that," he said loftily. Hermione rolled her eyes. _Of course not. He can probably count all the times he's had a meal in the kitchen on one hand! The dining room indeed._

"Prat," she said, poking him in the side. He jerked and made a sound that could have been a giggle. Hermione stared at him. "Are you ticklish, Draco?" He didn't answer. This time it was his face that was perfectly schooled to hide emotion. Hermione couldn't stop her grin. She poked him again. This time he made a definite yelp. "Ha! You are!" she cried gleefully. "I'm going to have fun with that!"

"I bet you will," Draco grumbled. Hermione just grinned. _I am definitely testing that theory when we wake up,_ she thought. Her grin lasted all the way to the dining room, where it transformed into a wide smile as Naomi and Evanna came running to meet them. _I'm really going to miss these girls._ She peeked over at Draco, who was trying to hold back a smile as Evanna buried her blonde head into his knees. He bent down and swooped her up, giving her a peck on the cheek as he did so. _He is so gentle with the girls. How is it I've never seen this side of Draco before now?_

"Come now girls, let your mother and father sit down. Lunch is ready." Narcissa's voice floated over towards them, and Hermione looked up to see the elegant blonde woman enter on the opposite side of the dining room. She looked well rested, all traces of last night's distress gone. She was once again dressed in impeccably neat robes and a light smile graced her face as she looked at her granddaughters.

"Yes Nana," said Naomi, releasing Hermione and walking over to the table. Hermione followed close behind. Draco carried Evanna over as well and set her in a high chair beside Hermione. Then, before Hermione could pull out her chair, Draco rushed forward and did it for her, gesturing for her to sit down. Hermione made a small gasping noise. _Will he ever stop surprising me?_ Draco's cheeks tinged pink and Hermione giggled. She gave him a bright smile before sitting down. She liked this side of Draco.

"You two are looking peaked," Narcissa said suddenly, catching both their attention. Her face was drawn into a concerned frown. "Are you feeling unwell?"

"Oh, it's just a bit of morning sickness," Hermione said quickly. "It will pass." She frowned slightly. The wooziness from earlier hadn't gone away yet, but she figured it must be because she didn't eat much for breakfast. Or it could be the pregnancy. _What do I know about pregnancy, anyway?_ She paused in her thoughts when she realized Narcissa had said the _two_ of them looked peaked and took a quick glance at Draco. He looked paler than normal and his eyes seemed unnaturally bright.

"I'm fine, Mother," Draco said, glancing between the two witches. He must have seen the concern on both their faces, because next he said, "I'm just a little tired. It was a late night, and Hermione and I spent the morning brewing in the potions lab. I'll be fine after lunch." He nodded and sat down across from Hermione. Narcissa didn't look convinced, but she nodded as well.

"You two should lay down after lunch," she said. Hermione covered her mouth to stop the giggle that threatened to spill out when Draco rolled his eyes.

"I'm not a child, Mother. I'll be fine." He gave Hermione a mild glare. Her smile grew. Naomi, apparently deciding that not enough attention was being paid to her, suddenly launched into a loud story about her morning.

"I exploded Vanna's teddy bear this morning," she said proudly. Hermione and Draco both turned to stare at her, shock on their faces.

"Wh-what?" sputtered Hermione. _My daughter did what?_

"Magic!" Naomi cried gleefully. "I made magic! Vanna was hitting me with her teddy, so I got mad and exploded it!"

"Oh dear," said Hermione mildly, not quite sure how to react. Across from her, Draco seemed to be having the same problem. Finally he burst into laughter.

"It was quite a surprise," said Narcissa a little dryly, frowning at her son. "And quite an impressive explosion. Evanna cried, of course, but a simple _reparo_ spell stopped that."

"I wish I could have seen it," said Draco suddenly. Naomi beamed.

"So you could see me do magic?" she asked.

"Yes," said Draco, trying to look serious, but failing. _Boys are so ridiculous,_ thought Hermione. _Laughing over an exploding teddy bear. Perhaps I should tell Fred and George about that one..._

"What else did you do this morning?" asked Hermione, changing the subject. She was proud of her daughter for showing some magical talents, but exploding teddy bears did not seem like a good past time to be encouraging.

Naomi's eyes sparkled. "Nana and me read a chapter of _Hogwarts: A History_," she said. "The part about the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall." Hermione beamed. Draco groaned. Narcissa chuckled.

"It's one of her favorite books," she remarked, giving Hermione a look. _Like mother like daughter,_ thought Hermione proudly. About that time the house elves appeared with their lunch, which was a steaming bowl of French onion soup and rolls. As soon as the smell reached Hermione's nose, her stomach lurched. _Not now! I can't be sick now. Just hold off a little longer,_ Hermione prayed, to no one in particular.

One of the house elves, Sonny, had brought a little bowl of chopped up strawberries and a small bowl of soup that had been mixed with a mashed up roll for Evanna. Hermione took this gratefully and poured it out on the tray of Evanna's high chair. "Mmm," said Hermione encouragingly as the girl picked up some of the soup and bread with a pudgy hand and brought it to her mouth. "Good job," she cooed. Evanna giggled and flicked her messy hand, causing bits of soup and bread to get stuck in Hermione's hair. _Wonderful,_ she thought dryly. A cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh sounded from a across the table and Hermione turned around to glare at Draco. He said nothing, and busied himself by taking a small bite of his roll.

Shaking her head, Hermione looked at her own bowl of soup sitting in front of her and again her stomach lurched. _I don't know if I can eat anything._ She glanced at Narcissa. _But I have to. Surely this sickness will pass. Surely I can manage a few bites..._

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><p>Draco was watching Hermione feed Evanna with fascination. Unconsciously, he smiled at her when she started making funny faces, widening her eyes. "Mmm," she said, licking her lips. Evanna grinned and proceeded to flick soup into Hermione's hair. He chuckled and quickly tried to cover it with a cough. As he expected, she turned and glared at him. <em>Same old Gryffindor.<em> He watched her a little longer, barely picking at his own food. When he caught his mother watching him, he managed to scoop up a few bites of the soup, but he really didn't feel up to eating.

He looked up and saw Hermione make a decidedly green face after looking at her soup. _And she's not either. I know she keeps saying it's just morning sickness, but it looks like something else. I hope it's nothing serious._ He shook himself, suddenly realizing his train of thought. _I've really grown attached to her,_ he realized. He blinked in amazement.

A small tug on his sleeve jerked him out of his stupor. He looked down to see Naomi's cool grey eyes looking up at him. She motioned with her finger for him to come closer and he bent down so his face was right next to hers. "Is Mum mad at me?" she whispered.

Draco shifted so his eyes were looking straight into Naomi's. "Of course not sweetheart," he said quietly. "Why would she be?"

Naomi's eyes widened, half filled with hope and distress. "For exploding Vanna's teddy," she whispered, her voice so faint Draco almost missed it. He smiled.

"No, she isn't." He thought about Hermione's shock when Naomi had announced what she did. He had seen the tugging at the corners of her mouth. "She actually thought it was funny," Draco whispered conspiratorially. "But don't tell her I told you."

A mischievous light immediately filled Naomi's eyes. "It will be our secret," she said proudly.

"What secret?" Hermione's voice cut across the table. Both Draco and Naomi looked at each other and back to Hermione guiltily. _Damn! Caught by a Gryffindor._ Hermione frowned. "It's rude to tell secrets at the table," she announced, wiping Evanna's chin with a damp cloth. Again Draco and Naomi exchanged looks. Draco suddenly saw a sly look cross Naomi's face. _Uh oh._

"Daddy was talking about you," Naomi said, looking like a cat with a bowl of cream. _That little minx!_

"Oh really?" said Hermione, arching an eyebrow. She continued cleaning Evanna's face and fingers. "And just was was he saying?"

Draco, having seen the sly look on Naomi's face, was filled with alarm. _What will she say?_

Naomi seemed to consider the question for a while, glancing back and forth between Hermione and Draco as if she couldn't decide whether or not to proceed. Finally she looked up at Hermione and smiled. Draco's stomach dropped. _Here it comes._ Naomi took a deep breath. "He said you are a bushy-haired stick in the mud!" Both Draco and Hermione's mouths dropped open.

"You little liar!" said Draco, grabbing Naomi and tickling her sides. "I said no such thing!" _I'll teach you to get me in trouble!_

"Me? A stick in the mud? Whatever for?" demanded Hermione, trying to keep a straight face at Draco's indignation. Draco nearly snorted when he noticed she didn't mentioned the bushy-haired comment. _I guess she's heard it so much it doesn't bother her anymore._

"For not laughing when I exploded the teddy," said Naomi between giggles. Evanna was shrieking and giggling along too. Narcissa looked like she was trying to hold back a smile.

"Is lunch over?" she asked mildly. Hermione nodded quickly and swooped up Evanna.

"Guess that means you're coming with me, you little trickster!" Draco growled, grabbing Naomi and tossing her up in the air. She shrieked and laughed, winding her arms tightly around Draco's neck.

"I love you Daddy," Naomi said sweetly. Draco's heart clenched. He'd only known them for a few days, but already he felt attached to them. A dull pain settled over his heart at the thought of leaving them. _What will happen to them when we leave?_ He tried to tell himself he was being silly, but the tickle of Naomi's little laugh against his ear and the tight squeeze of her arms around his neck was difficult to ignore. _They're just a dream,_ he realized, but didn't want to believe it. The little family he had here with Hermione seemed so real, so perfect. He almost didn't want to let it go.

_But I have to,_ he told himself. He was only fifteen. He still had years of school to finish and the threat of the Dark Lord was still hanging over him (not to mention the rest of the wizarding world). As nice as it was to believe Potter had defeated him, the fact of the matter was, it was all fantasy. In reality the wizarding world thought Potter was a loony along with Dumbledore. And meanwhile the Dark Lord was out there, gathering strength. Draco shuddered.

"Why don't you girls come with me?" asked Narcissa. "Mummy and Daddy need to take a nap," she said, giving Draco and Hermione firm glances. Draco looked over at Hermione, who had a slightly fearful expression on her face. She was holding Evanna tightly to her.

"Hermione," he said lightly. She looked at him with desperation. Again Draco felt a pang in his chest. _Ignore it,_ he told himself. "We need to listen to her," he said gently. Hermione tensed again, and Draco could see tears gathering in her eyes. She closed her eyes for moment, took a deep breath, and nodded. Draco set down Naomi beside him. He motioned for her to follow as he walked over to Hermione and put an arm around her and Evanna.

"You be a good girl for Nana, okay?" he said to her, nuzzling her cheek with his nose. Evanna giggled and nodded. Hermione kissed the top of her head.

"Mummy loves you," she said. Then she bent down in front of Naomi, wobbling a bit as she did so. If Draco hadn't been paying so much attention he might have missed it. _She's still ill._ He frowned. "Mummy loves you too, Naomi," Hermione said, holding an arm out to her. Naomi leaned in for a hug. "Be good and tonight I will read with you," Hermione promised. The little girl beamed. Only Draco noticed the hitch in Hermione's voice. She was looking very pale now. _I need to get her to lay down,_ thought Draco.

He bent down and kissed Naomi on the cheek. "Can you take your sister to Nana for me?" he asked. Naomi nodded. Reluctantly Hermione set Evanna down and Naomi took her hand. "Try not to explode any more teddy bears, alright?" Draco teased. Naomi grinned.

"I won't. I'll stick to dolls instead," she answered cheekily.

"Naomi!" both Draco and Hermione cried.

"Just kidding," the girl said, laughing. "Have a nice nap, Mummy and Daddy," she said, then bounced over to the door where Narcissa was waiting, dragging Evanna behind her. Draco smiled. _She'll be just like her mother some day._ As soon as Narcissa left with the girls, Draco turned to Hermione and was startled to see tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I know it's silly," she said, hiccuping a bit. "But I'm going to miss them so much!" Draco held out his arms to her and she all but threw herself into them. He wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair, hardly believing what he was doing. _I'm comforting a friend. Nothing more._ Hermione was a friend now, he couldn't deny it. But whether there was something more, he didn't dare admit.

His hands brushed her forehead and he frowned. He put his palm on her forehead and then on her cheek. _Bloody hell._ "You're burning up, Hermione!" She tried to lift her head up from his chest but Draco held it there. "We've got to get you into bed," he said.

"But the potion," Hermione mumbled.

"Never mind that now," Draco said impatiently. "You're burning up with fever. The potion won't do any good if you're too ill to drink it." _Besides, I'm not feeling quite up to drinking it either._

He saw Hermione processing what he had said and suddenly she snapped her head up, terror in her eyes. "A fever! Draco, what if there's something wrong with the baby?" She put a hand over her stomach and Draco saw her panic increase. Her breath started coming in short gasps. A quick shock of alarm tore through him, but he forced himself to calm down. The baby wasn't real, after all. _Just part of the dream._

"Hermione, calm down!" Draco tried to sooth her, but she was frantic and babbling very quickly.

"We have to go to Saint Mungos, I feel so stupid, I thought it was just morning sickness, what if one of the potion ingredients was bad for the baby...don't know anything about pregnancy, nothing about this in _Hogwarts: A History_, should have done more research..." She pushed away from Draco and stumbled out into the hallway, Draco close behind. "Should go to the library, surely I can find something to help...it was just an upset stomach..."

Suddenly she swayed on the spot and fell against the wall. "Hermione!" Draco cried, reaching out to grab her. His head was starting to pound. _Got to stay focused. Hermione needs me._ He shook himself and steadied her.

"I'm fine," she mumbled.

"No, you're not," said Draco, feeling very worried. Hermione pushed away from him again.

"Sure I am," she said, swaying some more. Draco only had a split second to react before she collapsed to the floor. He barely caught her and had to sink to the floor with her, pulling the unconscious girl into his lap. _I knew there was something wrong._ He looked around. The room seemed to be spinning. _I've got to carry her upstairs._ Draco tried picking her up, but he couldn't get his legs to work and his arms felt like lead.

"No," he said feebly. "I'll help you Hermione," he promised her._ I have to get up. Why won't my legs work? I must be ill too. _He blinked has his vision blurred. Dimly, he thought he heard someone calling his and Hermione's names._ Strange. That sounds like Professor Snape. But he wouldn't be here, and he's saying Hermione's name wrong. It isn't Miss Granger, it's Mrs. Malfoy. _He opened up his mouth to tell him so, but wasn't sure if Snape could hear him. There was a loud buzzing in is ears and then everything faded to black.


	17. Chapter 17

**DISCLAIMER:** Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

**Author Note: **First I have to say, I am so sorry for keeping you waiting! I don't know if any of you are aware of this, but some serious storms hit the state of Ohio (and several others along the east coast) and as a result I've been out of power for a week! Trust me when I say, I had the chapter written and ready for you, my dear readers, but Mother Nature decided we had to wait. So without further ado, he is the (hopefully) amusing conclusion to this story! Thanks to all who have stuck with me to the end and to those who are even now reading it for the first time. I hope you've enjoyed it.

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><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

Draco blinked his eyes. The room slowly came into focus, as did the shapes standing around him. Madame Pomfrey, Professor Snape, and Professor Dumbledore were staring down at him. He was in the Hospital Wing. They were back. "Hermione!" he cried, bolting upright in his bed. He looked around wildly, searching for her. _Where is she, she was ill, I have to help her!_ "Mr. Malfoy, calm yourself!" ordered Madame Pomfrey, trying to make him lay back down. But Draco wasn't having any of it.

Suddenly he heard some whimpers from the bed next to his. Hermione was laying there, tossing and turning. "Hermione!" Draco shouted again and leapt from the bed.

"Mr. Malfoy, you get back into bed this instant!" shouted Madame Pomfrey. Dumbledore said nothing, but watched the events with the usual twinkle in his eye. Professor Snape kept his face blank, but confusion filled his normally stoic eyes. Draco ignored them all and ran to Hermione's side. He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently.

"Wake up Hermione, it's okay, we're back," said Draco soothingly. "It's alright, I'm here." Professor Snape's eyebrows rose. Madame Pomfrey was still trying to get Draco back into bed.

"Get back in that bed, you silly boy! I need to run some tests on you to make sure you're alright!" Still Draco ignored her. He started stroking Hermione's hair.

"Please wake up, Hermione," he said. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

Suddenly Hermione's eyes flew open and she bolted upright, just like Draco had. She glanced around the room, taking in the sight of Professor Snape and Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey. Then she looked down at her hand in Draco's and a look of anguish and alarm covered her face. She turned to Madame Pomfrey. "My baby, is my baby alright?" she cried.

The witch's eyes widened in shock and she simply stared at Hermione dumbfounded. Professor Snape made a choking noise and his mouth dropped open. Professor Dumbledore simply smiled. Finally Professor Snape recovered enough to ask, "Your what, Miss Granger?"

"My baby, is he okay?" repeated Hermione. Then a frown crossed her face. "Wait, why did..."

She was cut off by Draco, who turned irritably towards Professor Snape. "Didn't I tell you not to call her that? Her name is Mrs. Malfoy, not Miss Granger!" he snapped. This time Professor Snape did choke.

"Wh-what on earth are you talking about, boy?" shouted Professor Snape.

"WHY ISN'T ANYONE TELLING ME ABOUT MY BABY?" shouted Hermione, looking frantic. At this point Dumbledore stepped in. Draco, who had ignored Professor Snape's outburst, looked up imploringly at Dumbledore at Hermione's question. _Yes, how is our baby?_

"Your child is perfectly fine, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," he assured them, ignoring the stunned looks on both Madame Pomfrey and Professor Snape's faces. Draco heaved a sigh of relief. He almost didn't hear Dumbledore's next question. "May I have a word with Professor Snape and Madame Pomfrey?" he asked. Hermione nodded, looking relieved after hearing her baby was safe. Draco nodded too, not caring what the Headmaster did as long as Hermione and the baby were safe. But something was bothering him, niggling in the back of his mind like a piece of forgotten homework. _How did we get here? The last thing I remember is Hermione passing out in the hallway at the Manor. Why are we at Hogwarts?_ Dumbledore walked further down the Hospital Wing to give Draco and Hermione some space.

Draco saw Professor Snape storm over to Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey hot on his tail. "What in the name of Salazar is going on here, Albus?" he demanded. Draco continued to hold Hermione's hand and stroke her hair, but he strained to hear what Dumbledore was saying. He saw Madame Pomfrey nodding furiously, still a little shocked over what had just happened.

Dumbledore merely smiled. "Really Severus, I would have thought it was quite obvious. Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger—"

"Don't you mean _Mrs. Malfoy_?" Snape sneered. Dumbledore held up a hand to silence him. A confused look crossed Draco's face. _Why did Snape think it was odd to call Hermione by her married name?_

"As I was saying, Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger are merely suffering from the after effects of the potion. That is to say, they haven't fully woken up yet. No doubt they will be quite shocked when they do," he said amiably. Sudden awareness flooded Draco. He looked down at Hermione, who seemed to coming to the same conclusion. _The potion we brewed! But we never took it, we passed out __before we got the chance... _As if to prove Dumbledore's point, there was a sudden chorus of "Bloody hell!" from both Hermione and Draco, who had realized at the exact same moment they were no longer in the dream world. Draco leapt back from the bed and released Hermione's hand like it burned him. His eyes flew to the three adults in the room, who were watching Draco and Hermione with various looks of shock, amusement, and derision. _Sweet Salazar, I was just holding Hermione's hand and I told Professor Snape to call her Mrs. Malfoy! _ His cheeks turned pink.

Madame Pomfrey bustled over to their side immediately. "I trust you'll calm down now, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked briskly. His cheeks burning, he nodded. _This is ridiculous! Malfoys don't get embarrassed!_ He glanced over at Hermione who was looking at him with the same look of embarrassment he was feeling. _She asked about her baby,_ he suddenly realized. Hermione Granger, resident goodie-goodie and know-it-all just yelled at the Headmaster, Professor Snape, and Madame Pomfrey about the health of her _baby._ The whole thing was too ridiculous. He burst into laughter as Madame Pomfrey waved her wand over him, checking for any lingering effects.

"And just what is so funny, Mr. Malfoy?" asked Professor Snape in his usual menacing tone. Draco looked up at him, then over to Hermione and burst into even more laughter.

"This seems to be a common side effect," observed Madame Pomfrey. "Mr. Finnigan laughed for a full fifteen minutes after he woke up." Draco's laughter apparently hadn't effected her at all.

"Baby," Draco finally managed to choke out, still glancing back and forth between Hermione and Professor Snape. At this, Hermione's face turned and angry shade of red and she glared at him. _Uh-oh. Here it comes..._

"It's not that funny!" snapped Hermione. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, causing the dressing gown she was wearing to hitch up. Draco couldn't resist taking a peek at her legs to see if she really looked like she had in their dream. He smiled. She did. _So Granger really does have a fine figure...wait, am I really going to pursue this?_ He looked at Hermione's enraged form, her flushed cheeks and wild hair, crackling with energy. _Yes, I dare say I am._ "Don't you grin at me, Draco Malfoy!" she raged, eyes flashing. She jumped out of the bed and ran over to him.

"Control yourself, Miss Granger!" said Professor Snape angrily.

Draco's eyebrows flew to his hairline when she turned from him and said cooly, "I will when he does, Professor." Then she turned back to Draco and shoved him in the chest. Draco forgot all about Professor Snape. "Stop laughing! You were just as worried as I was! It's not just my baby, you know!" she cried.

Draco's eyebrows furrowed and he forgot for a moment where they were. "Well that wasn't my choice, was it?" he snapped.

Hermione's eyes flashed. _I love it when they do that, _Draco thought idly. "Oh, you want to contest that _now?_" she argued, appearing outraged that Draco even suggested such a thing.

"Ahem." There was the sound of someone clearing their throat loudly and both Draco and Hermione turned to look at the professors and Madame Pomfrey. Briefly, Draco glanced down at Hermione and realized how close they were. _I could kiss her right now. _Hermione looked up at him and caught his glance. The widening of her eyes told him she was thinking the same thing. She stepped a foot backwards.

Draco watched as Hermione straightened her gown and smoothed down her hair. "Yes, Professor Dumbledore?" she asked. Draco could have laughed again at the prim tone of her voice.

Dumbledore was watching them with a twinkle in his eye. "I hate to break up this little family discussion, Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger," but there are a few things we need to know about what you experienced while under the potion. Professor Snape is compiling a set of notes to prevent anything like this from happening again."

Draco watched with amusement as Hermione immediately straightened up and an eager look covered her face. _Here we go. The know-it-all is back._ "Oh, did you find an antidote, Professor? Is that why we woke up? I was beginning to think we would have to wait until Neville's potion left our systems. We brewed our own antidote, of course, but we woke up before we had a chance to test it. Was your potion perhaps a ghastly shade of neon green? Because I—"

"Miss Granger!" barked Professor Snape. "That is quite enough. Five points from Gryffindor for your incessant chatter. Did you not hear the Headmaster when he said _we_ wanted to question _you_?"

Dumbledore put a hand on Professor Snape's arm to quiet him. "Now, now, Severus, it is only natural that Miss Granger should be curious as to how she was cured." Draco snorted as Professor Snape muttered something under his breath about "insufferable know-it-alls." Hermione ducked her head and had the grace to look abashed, but Draco knew she wasn't the least bit sorry and intended one way or another to get those answers. Dumbledore smiled broadly. "Indeed, Miss Granger, Professor Snape did brew an antidote. However, it was a combination of time and the antidote which woke you up. The antidote, as it were, had to fight the original potion out of your body. Some cases were easier to cure than others. You and Mr. Malfoy were the last to wake up."

Hermione nodded, taking everything in, then suddenly looked at Dumbledore with a horrified expression. "We were the last? How long were we under?"

It was Madame Pomfrey who answered. "Two weeks," she said. "A right fright you two gave me, I was beginning to think you might not wake up."

Draco felt stunned. _Two weeks? It can't be!_ Whatever shock Draco felt, he realized it was nothing compared to the horror Hermione felt. "What?" she squeaked. "B-but we were only there two days! We can't have missed _two weeks!_" Draco grinned, knowing she was freaking about about missing so many classes.

"Relax, Hermione," he drawled. "I'll help you catch up on all your work," he said, missing the astonished looks on Professor Snape and Madame Pomfrey's faces.

Hermione snorted. "Yeah right," she said sarcastically. "You mean _I'll_ be helping _you_ catch up on your work."

"Even better," said Draco smoothly. _Somehow this is even more fun in reality,_ he thought. Then realized his professors were still standing there. He cleared his throat. "Right. You said you had some questions for us, Professor?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione immediately snap back to attention and blush. _That's right Granger. We were just flirting in front of the Headmaster and Professor Snape._ It didn't really matter if Madame Pomfrey saw them. They didn't have class with her everyday. And Dumbledore, well he was _Dumbledore._ The Headmaster. By principle it was awkward to be caught doing something you wouldn't normally do in front of him.

"Ah, yes," said Dumbledore cheerfully. "I was wondering when you two would let us get to that. Now, what we need to know is everything that happened in your respective dreams. Which of you would like to go first?"

Draco felt his cheeks burn again. He didn't have to look at Hermione to know she was blushing too. "Um, Professor," Hermione said a bit timidly, "I don't think we'll need to go separately. Draco and I had a shared dream, you see," she finished.

If it were possible, Dumbledore smiled even wider. _Does his eyes ever stop that damn twinkling?_ "I suspected as much. That makes your case even more interesting."

This time Draco beat Hermione to the punch. "Why is that, Professor?" he asked. He felt Hermione's eyes on him. _What? I can ask questions too._

Professor Snape answered. "You and Miss Granger are the only ones to report sharing a dream, Mr. Malfoy. It is unusual." _Great. I'm some kind of freak accident,_ thought Draco bitterly.

"Why don't you start at the beginning," suggested Dumbledore smiling. "I find it is the best place to start most things."

Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Hermione glanced at him, then back at the professors and back to Draco. She blushed crimson. "Well," she started, taking a deep breath. Draco could practically see her summoning her Gryffindor courage. "It started with us waking up. Together." Professor Snape rolled his eyes. "We were married," Hermione finished, as though this were the worst bit. _They don't know the half of it,_ Draco thought. Suddenly he looked at Hermione in alarm. _The __professors don't need to know everything, right?_

"We were at the Manor," Draco cut in, "and we knew something had gone wrong. So we worked out what had happened with Longbottom's potion—Hermione knew which ingredient caused the explosion—and then Hermione passed out." Hermione blushed again. Draco smirked. _She's so cute when she's flustered—gah! Focus, Draco!_

"Draco took me to Saint Mungos, where they checked on my..." Hermione faltered. "My baby. Apparently, Draco and I had two children—two little girls and another one on the way." Her eyes warmed at the thought of Naomi and Evanna, but Professor Snape's cold voice cut through her recollection.

"Congratulations," he said dryly. Both Hermione and Draco blushed. "Spare us all the little details. You were both aware of your situation? That you were in a dream state caused by Longbottom's mess of a potion?"

"Yes Sir," Draco and Hermione answered together. Hermione continued.

"But no one else in the dream was. They seemed to think Draco and I were soul mates," she said wrinkling her nose. Draco snorted. _Yeah right. Granger may be attractive, but my soul mate? I think not._

Professor Snape nodded. "Yes, the other students reported similar sentiments. The potion apparently sent everyone into an alternate reality created by your minds." Draco saw Hermione's eyes gleam as she digested this information. Her hand twitched. Draco wondered if she would raise her hand. Professor Snape seemed to notice it as well. He hurried on. "You and Mr. Malfoy had children, you say?" he asked, sneering. Hermione nodded.

"Yes Sir." Draco noticed she was barely suppressing a smile at the mention of their little girls. He thought about Naomi's bright smile and Evanna's soft blonde curls and had to hide a smile as well. He caught Dumbledore watching him merrily, and he hastily looked away.

"Your dream was obviously set in the future then, am I correct?" asked Professor Snape. Draco nodded and answered for Hermione.

"Yes, about seven or eight years Sir. The Ministry was holding a Memorial Dinner for the heroes of the War," he said, carefully watching the professors' expressions. Professor Snape predictably stiffened, and Dumbledore looked wistfully sad.

"Yes, You-Know-Who had been defeated," whispered Hermione. Her voice trembled a bit and Draco knew she was thinking of Potter. "In our dream, H-Harry sacrificed himself to defeat him." At this, Madame Pomfey gasped, Professor Snape looked colder than ever, and Dumbledore looked very grave.

"Alas, not all dreams can be happy," the Headmaster lamented. Draco snorted, as did Professor Snape.

Hermione cleared her throat, obviously snapping out of it. "But that was just the dream," she said firmly. "What else do you need to know?" Professor Snape scowled at her.

"Everything," he snapped. Hermione took a deep breath and launched into the story. Draco found himself quite content to let Hermione do the telling, occasionally jumping in to add something she forgot. With a shared look they omitted both of their kisses, their talk after the Ministry dinner and some of their other more intimate moments. _No need for the old bats to know everything._

By the time they finished, Hermione was a brilliant shade of red. Madame Pomfrey had repeatedly cooed and gasped during their story and was now wearing a sickeningly fond look on her face. Draco attempted to keep a bored look on his face, but with Professor Snape's constant sneering, Madame Pomfrey's incessant cooing, and Dumbledore's knowing smile it was difficult. Small spots of pink were fixed on both his cheeks. _Sweet Salazar, is this interrogation over yet? I don't know if I can take much more._

Dumbledore clapped his hands together. "Well, that was fascinating. You got all you needed, I trust, Severus?" he asked Professor Snape. "Good," he nodded as Professor Snape inclined his head stiffly. He was looking at Draco and Hermione with an expression of extreme disgust, which annoyed Draco for some reason. _I could do worse than Granger, you know. I could have fallen for the Weaselette._ He didn't say this of course. Dumbledore eyed the students with a cheerful smile. "After a good meal, I think both Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger should be free to go. Is that correct Madame Pomfrey?" he asked.

The matronly witch smiled. "Yes Headmaster," she answered and bustled off to get a tray of food. Draco brightened at the thought of food. All at once he realized he was famished. To his surprise however, Hermione protested.

"But we've just had lunch," she said. Almost immediately a low rumbling was heard and Draco smirked as Hermione blushed yet again. _Guess again, Granger._

Professor Snape sneered and opened his mouth, no doubt to say something nasty, but Dumbledore stopped him. "It would seem your stomach disagrees with you, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said amusedly. "I would imagine feasts in our minds, however delectable, cannot fully sustain us."

Draco laughed. "You didn't eat anything anyway, Hermione."

She puffed up indignantly. _She is so easy to rile up._ "I was busy feeding Evanna!" she said a bit hotly, still blushing over her rumbling stomach.

"Who was busy flicking food in your hair," laughed Draco, just to rile her up some more. Hermione turned a deeper shade of red. Draco thought she looked glorious when angry. Her hand flew up to her hair and Draco laughed harder. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"Enjoy it while you can, Malfoy," she hissed. "You won't catch me in this vulnerable state again."

Draco's smile grew. He noticed Dumbledore was still watching them amusedly and Professor Snape was still sneering, but he thought he detected a glint of amusement in his dark eyes. "Trust me, _Granger,_" he drawled, eyeing her up and down, "I intend to." He smirked victoriously as Hermione flushed and her mouth dropped open. Professor Snape made a slight choking noise, though whether it was from disbelief or amusement, Draco couldn't tell. He decided to take it one step further. "And I'd thought we'd come to an understanding, _Hermione,_" he said, practically purring as he said her name.

"Indeed we did, _Draco,_" she snapped back, pouring just as much seductiveness into his name as he had with hers. Draco grinned. Teasing her like this was going to be so much fun.

"I'm glad we _understand_ each other," he said, giving her another raking look.

* * *

><p>Hermione was extremely agitated. She'd never felt more exposed or embarrassed in her entire life. She'd just spent the last twenty minutes telling Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor Snape how she'd been playing house with Draco Malfoy for the past two days. Draco hadn't helped matters much, having the audacity to bait and <em>flirt<em> with her in front of everyone! His blatant ogling was the last straw. She stood there, her cheeks blazing, her mouth open in shock. _I am going to strangle that boy!_ She was saved from the effort of answering by the return of Madame Pomfrey bustling over, two trays of steaming shepherd's pie, creamy chocolate pudding and a cool glass of pumpkin juice floating behind her.

"Into bed, the pair of you!" she said briskly, pushing past Professor Snape and Dumbledore. "You've been talking long enough, now eat up and we'll have you out of here in no time." Dumbledore smiled and bowed and moved out of the witch's way. Professor Snape sneered, turned on his heel and left the Hospital Wing, his black robes billowing as usual behind him. _Thank goodness he left, _Hermione thought, sighing slightly. _Not even a thank you for my help in solving this,_ she thought indignantly. _Of course, I suppose he would have figured out Neville used powdered root of asphodel eventually, but I'm sure my hint helped._

She glanced over at Draco, who winked at her. Hermione rolled her eyes, then glanced sheepishly up at Dumbledore, who was eyeing the pair of them and smiling broadly. "I'm glad to see a bit of inter-house community, especially in these troubling times," he said. This time Draco blushed with Hermione. _Ha. I knew he wasn't as unaffected as he was acting._ Hermione suddenly found her food extremely interesting and began shoveling it in her mouth as the headmaster walked away.

Hermione heaved a sigh of relief as Dumbledore disappeared from the Hospital Wing, but her relief was short lived. No sooner had Dumbledore left than Harry and Ron burst into the Infirmary, their eyes wide and their cheeks flushed. They caught sight of Draco and immediately scowled. Hermione watched Draco roll his eyes and mutter something under his breath. He viciously attacked his shepherd's pie and went about the task of ignoring Harry and Ron. _Here comes our first test,_ Hermione thought. _If Draco and I can fool these two, we can fool anyone._

Harry and Ron hurried towards Hermione, identical looks of relief written on their faces. "Hermione!" they cried, coming to a rushed stop beside her bed. "We were so worried," said Harry. Hermione's heart leapt, filled with joy at seeing her best friend again, thankfully alive. She knew it had only been a dream, but the possibility of losing Harry was too real to ignore. She thought of the dementor attack over the summer and of his increasing dreams about You-Know-Who. Harry, it seemed, would always be in constant danger.

"Yeah," said Ron. "We were beginning to think you wouldn't wake up!" Hermione laughed.

"Ron and I woke up three days later," said Harry quickly. "Snape was able to whip up the antidote pretty quickly, but Madame Pomfrey said it had to fight the potion out of us, like a virus."

"_Professor_ Snape, Harry," corrected Hermione automatically. Ron grinned.

"Same old Hermione," he said. He straightened up. "Look, we knew you'd be frantic when you found out how long you'd been asleep, so Harry and I collected all your homework!" He pointed to a large stack of books and parchment on the bedside table to Hermione's left. She followed his pointing finger and beamed. _How sweet._ She turned and smiled at the pair of them, too happy at their thoughtfulness to worry about how much work she had to catch up on.

"Oh, thank you Ron!" she said, setting her tray aside and pulling him into a quick hug. After a moment she released him and pulled Harry in for one too. Ron's ears went pink.

"It was nothing," Ron mumbled. He suddenly found his feet to be very interesting.

Beside them Draco cleared his throat very loudly. "Excuse me, but some of us are trying to recover in here," he drawled in his usual aristocratic voice. "It's bad enough that I have to look at Potty and Weasel here, but do I really have to watch you throw yourself all over them, Granger? It's putting me off my lunch."

Ron's whole face went pink, Harry glared and clenched his fists, and Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously. _Is that jealously I detect?_ She made a mental note to file it away and ask him later.

"Shove off, Malfoy," spat Harry. "Just because you have to buy your friends doesn't mean the rest of us do. I notice nobody cares whether you've recovered or not." Hermione saw that this wasn't entirely true. On Malfoy's beside table was a huge pink card with hearts on it and a box of what looked like Honeydukes best chocolate. She smirked.

"Come now Harry, you know that's not true," she sang out. Harry and Ron stared at her with open mouths. Draco's eyes widened in shock. Hermione fought to keep the grin off her face. _Not yet,_ she thought. "See there, Malfoy's got a lovely present from his girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson. I'm sure she's just dying for Drakie-poo to get out of the Infirmary," Hermione continued in a sickly sweet voice. Both Harry and Ron burst out laughing. They with Hermione thought Pansy was a nightmare. Draco's shocked face quickly contorted into fury. Pansy wasn't that bad, but her infatuation with Draco was borderline obsession.

"Watch your tongue, mu—Granger!" Draco snapped. Hermione's eyebrows raised a fraction of an inch. _Was he really just about to call me mudblood? After everything we've just been through? Old habits die hard, I guess._

Hermione, not wanting push her luck any further, decided that this was enough confrontation for one day. She turned to Harry and Ron. "I think I'd better finish my lunch now. You two head up to the common room, I'll meet you up there when I'm finished," she said quickly. Both boys' faces fell.

"But Hermione, we want to hear all about your dream! It must have been a good one, for you to be under so long," Harry said. Hermione bit her lip and glanced at Draco. Harry seemed to take this as a sign that she didn't want Draco to overhear. He whirled around.

"Oi! Malfoy, we're trying to have a private conversation, if you don't mind," he snapped, as if Draco had been listening in on their every word. He was, of course, but that wasn't the point.

Hermione jumped in, not wanting to hear any more arguments. "I'll tell you later, Harry," she said firmly, tugging on his arm. Harry nodded,

"Fine then. Don't let this git bother you, or we'll hex him into next week. You hear that Malfoy?" Harry asked, his voice rising in pitch a little. Again Hermione tugged on Harry's arm.

"I'm perfectly capable of handling Dr—Malfoy," Hermione said loftily. Inwardly she cursed herself for almost saying Draco's name. _Good one, Hermione. Way to almost ruin everything!_ But Harry hadn't appeared to notice. He was still glaring daggers at Malfoy, who was glaring back.

"Hermione's right, Harry," cut in Ron. "She can handle him." Harry nodded, and Hermione felt pleased with Ron's assessment. He didn't often give her enough credit, she thought. It was nice when he did. Suddenly Ron's face lit up. "Hey! Tomorrow is a visit to Hogsmeade!" he said excitedly. "Hermione, you can hang out with us all day tomorrow! We'll even go to the bookshop with you." Harry nodded enthusiastically at this.

Hermione heart leaped at the chance to spend some time with her best friends and she blushed a little at Ron's excited manner, but the pile of homework seemed to be towering behind her. _I am so behind!_ She smiled and patted Ron's hand. "That sounds wonderful, Ron," she said.

Harry looked shrewdly at her. "I sense a but in there," he said. Ron's face fell a bit.

Hermione looked apologetic. _Surely they'll understand,_ she thought resolutely. "It's not that I don't want to go," she said, "but look at all the work I have to catch up on! I'll be working all weekend. I can't possibly allow myself to fall behind, not when we have our O.W.L.S. coming up!" she breathed. To her relief, Ron smiled.

"Well, you wouldn't be our Hermione if you weren't worried about homework," he said. "I guess we'll talk with you tonight in the common room, yeah?" For a moment Hermione looked stricken. She desperately wanted to get a head start on all the work she missed, but the looks on her best friends' faces were too much for her. _I can work on it later,_ she decided.

"Of course," she said brightly. She couldn't help but reflect the wide grins on both Harry and Ron's faces and she ignored the fierce scowl that had become fixed on Draco's face.

"Are you through yet?" he sneered. "All this Gryffindor cheeriness is making me sick. I think I'll just go back to sleep. At least I didn't have to deal with you lot there," he said meanly. Hermione wondered if he really meant it. _Would Draco really go back to our dream world?_

"I wish you would," said Ron, cutting though Hermione's thoughts. "Then we wouldn't have to deal with you either, ferret-face." Hermione hid a smile as she looked over at Draco, who looked livid. _I told you I could make no promises about the boys, _she thought gleefully.

"Alright, you need to go. I've got to finish my lunch!" ordered Hermione. Harry leaned in for another quick hug.

"Okay, Hermione. See you back in the common room," he said and turned to leave.

"Yeah, later Hermione!" called Ron over his shoulder, hurrying to catch up with Harry. As soon as they left, Draco spoke.

"Merlin, I thought they'd never leave," he said.

Hermione picked up her lunch tray and began attacking it. "Oh hush. I told you I wouldn't make any promises about them. Anyway, I think we handled that well," she said.

Draco sneered. "Oh yes, it went swimmingly." He paused to eat a spoonful of pudding. "So how about it, Granger?" he asked after he had swallowed. Hermione looked at him, confused.

"How about what?" she asked. _What on earth is he talking about now?_

He smirked at her. "You turned down Potty and Weasel for Hogsmeade, so how about you and I sneak off later, hmm?" Hermione snorted. _Is Draco propositioning me? He really must be serious __about this whole friendship thing._ She smiled. "Is that a yes?" he drawled.

Hermione shook her head. "I meant what I said, Draco," she answered. "I have loads of homework to do, and I have to catch up. Who knows what we've missed while we were asleep."

"But you're a prefect," Draco said, a smug smile appearing on his face. "We'll have to patrol the younger students."

"I will talk to Professor McGonagall," Hermione said, not even looking at him. She took a sip of her pumpkin juice and continued. "I'm sure she'll excuse me."

"You can't just shirk your duties," Draco argued. "It will damage your chances of becoming Head Girl." He smirked again, obviously certain he had the upper hand. Hermione smiled grimly.

"I had no idea you wanted to spend time with me this much, Draco. Very well, if you put it like that, I can't argue. As prefects, we _can't_ shirk our duties." Draco's smirk grew and he puffed up like a cat whose just been given a bowl of cream.

"I knew you'd see reason, Hermione," he said. Hermione nodded.

"Of course. I'll ask McGonagall to give _both_ of us the afternoon off. Since you're so keen to spend time with me, you can work on your missed work with me. We'll help each other. I believe you've already made me that offer anyway, isn't that right?" she said innocently. _See what you make of that, Draco Malfoy._

Draco looked dumbstruck. Hermione continued to eat her lunch rather innocently, as though she had not just one-upped him in their argument. She only just managed to hide her smile. "That's right, I did," said Draco, desperately trying to recover. Hermione grinned. She had already won the argument. Draco frowned. "Don't look so smug, Hermione, it doesn't suit you. Besides, this isn't over." Hermione didn't answer, she only continued to eat her lunch. They finished their lunch in silence.

When they were done, Madame Pomfrey appeared like magic, as if their trays had some alarm to notify her when they were empty. She gathered up their trays and handed them each their school robes. With a flick of her wand, two sets of curtains had appeared to give them some privacy. "You two are free to go," she said. "Just leave your hospital gowns on the bed, and I'll clean them up later. Good day." She bustled off to help a first year who had boils covering his face.

As they were dressing, Draco's voice floated over the curtains to where Hermione was dressing. "Are you going to tell them?" he asked. Hermione had no need to ask for clarification. _Tell Harry and Ron I dreamt about being married to Malfoy? Don't be absurd. _

"Of course not," she said. "Are you planning on telling?" As she predicted, Draco snorted.

"Don't be ridiculous," he said. Hermione patiently rolled her eyes and folded up her discarded hospital gown.

"I thought not," she said, coming out from behind the curtains and setting her folded gown on her bed. Draco emerged seconds later and tossed his gown onto his bed as well. Hermione frowned at the mess. _Boys, they're all the same._ She pointed her wand and the gown folded itself neatly on the end of the bed.

"Was that really necessary?" asked Draco. Hermione gave him a scolding look, one she often gave Harry and Ron when they asked to see her homework. _He truly is my friend now,_ she realized. She'd started thinking of him like she did Harry and Ron. The image of their kiss popped into her mind and she blushed. _Okay, maybe not exactly the same as Harry and Ron._ She walked quickly out of the Hospital Wing. Draco followed at a more leisurely pace until they reached the corridor. After checking that the corridor was empty, he hurried to her side.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, surprised he would be seen with her in public, but strangely happy. She hadn't imagined the better side of Draco after all.

"Eager to be rid of your doting husband?" he teased.

"Hardly," she snorted.

Draco grinned. "I knew you were crazy about me."

"You wish," she teased back. "I just don't wish to be seen with the Prince of Slytherin. It's bad for my Gryffindor image.

"I always knew you'd recognize the nobility of my blood someday," he drawled, clearly enjoying the look of outrage Hermione knew had crossed her face. She halted and narrowed her eyes. _Oh, so that's how it is, hmm? Let's see how you like this._

"I believe I vowed test something when we woke up," she declared, a mischievous glint coming into her eye. Draco looked startled by her sudden change in subject and looked wary. _As well you should,_ thought Hermione, then launched herself at Draco's middle, tickling him mercilessly.

Draco was completely caught off guard and howled in laughter, doubling over in a fit of giggles as he tried to ward off Hermione, who danced around him, tickling him all over. "I can't believe it!" she crowed. "Draco Malfoy is ticklish. Oh this is too rich!" Draco took advantage of that moment to snake his arm around her wist and pull him firmly to him, effectively causing her to gasp in surprise. She recovered quickly however. "You know, I really have to thank you for all this," she said musingly. Draco was surprised by her cool tone, but inside Hermione was desperately hoping he wouldn't notice her heart beating a mile a minute. _He should not effect me this much!_ But she was enjoying herself too much to listen to her conscience at the moment.

"What do you mean?" whispered Draco in her ear, and Hermione's heart skipped a beat.

With difficulty, she continued. "I mean, if you hadn't taunted Neville in Potions, he wouldn't have mixed up the ingredients and I would've have caught his mistake. So really, it's all your fault that we're in this position."

Draco's eyes flicked down to her lips and Hermione had to fight the urge to lick them. _Not in __the middle of the hallway, in broad daylight!_ One side of her mind urged, but the other half wanted her to lean in and finish the job. "I think I can live with that," said Draco smiling. Hermione controlled herself. _ I need to end this,_ she told herself. There would be plenty of time for them to ah, "get to know each other" later.

"Good," she said promptly and reached up to his rib cage and tickled him again. Draco immediately let go of her and she darted out of his grasp. She was halfway up the stairs before he could call out to her. She gave him a little wave. "See you tomorrow, Draco!" she said sweetly, then ran up the stairs, leaving him standing in the corridor with his mouth open. Hermione smiled to herself. Taunting Malfoy had never felt so good.

~fin~

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> Well, what did you think? Good ending or not? I wanted to leave it a little open-ended. Who knows? I may even write a sequel. ;) Thanks for reading!


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